Less than one-third of California-born beef cattle destined for feedlots remain in-state while the rest are shipped to other U.S. regions for fattening and slaughter, according to a peer-reviewed survey published in the University of California’s California Agriculture research journal. Moreover, only half of California-born cattle destined for rangeland feeding remain in-state.

The findings have important implications for California’s beef cattle industry, one of the state’s most important agricultural sectors with a production value of $1.35 billion in 2001. The exodus of young cattle from the state demonstrates the increasing impact of nationwide market consolidation, UC agricultural economists report in the September-October 2002 issue.

In a survey of nearly 300 ranchers in 40 California counties, conducted in 2000 and 2001, the UC researchers found an industry “at a crossroads,� with decreased slaughter capacity, fewer buyers and marketing mechanisms, less local access to feed grains and aging proprietors. “Many operators of these predominantly family-run businesses are nearing retirement age, with uncertain prospects for the continuity of family operations,� the authors write. Contact: Richard Sexton, (530) 752-4428 or sexton@primal.ucdavis.edu.

In a related editorial, UC Davis professor Richard Sexton notes that market consolidation has resulted in greater efficiencies in the food industry nationally, but fewer selling opportunities for ranchers and farmers statewide.

To help remedy this situation, UC Cooperative Extension in Marin County is working with local ranchers to develop “niche� marketing opportunities for grass-fed livestock, a California Agriculture news article reports.

The current issue of California Agriculture also features the following peer-reviewed articles:

• Organic dairy production costs:
  
  Organic is a very small but rapidly increasing sector of California’s valuable dairy industry. To provide information for conventional dairy producers considering a switch, UC Davis agricultural economist Leslie Butler quantified the costs of organic dairy production in California. Contact: Butler, (530) 752-3681 or ljbutler@ucdavis.edu.
  
  
• Alfalfa irrigation and water quality:
  
  In a 3-year study in the northern Sacramento Valley, UC researchers found significant differences in toxicity to an aquatic indicator species (water flea) in alfalfa irrigation tail-water after organophosphate or pyrethroid insecticides were sprayed to control an important alfalfa pest. The pyrethroids tested caused insignificant water flea mortality while controlling Egyptian alfalfa weevil significantly better than the organophosphates. While certain pyrethroids can be toxic to beneficial insects and fish (depending upon their movement from soil to water, for example) this research highlights a potential alternative for alfalfa growers whose irrigation run-off affects natural waterways.
  Armed with this information, alfalfa farmers in Solano and Yolo counties significantly reduced their organophosphate usage, a related California Agriculture news article reports. This type of research will be useful to growers as they face the sunsetting in 2003 of state waivers that have exempted California agriculture from federal Clean Water Act requirements. Contact: Rachael Long, (530) 666-8143 or rflong@ucdavis.edu.
  
  
• Pheromones for cling peaches:
  

In a demonstration project, slow-release pheromones were effective in controlling two pests of cling peaches, oriental fruit moth and peach twig borer. But to keep costs down, participating growers preferred a program of pheromones with limited insecticide spraying. Contact: Carolyn Pickel, (530) 822-7515 or cxpickel@ucdavis.edu.