Oxnard strawberry growers lost an average $10,000 to $15,000 per acre worth of crop last year because the berries died off prematurely in dry weather, and farmers could be in for a repeat of that scenario this year.
The Thousand Oaks-based firm said it would like to use the proceeds from the public offering to expand its Brazilian operations, participate in collaborations and break into new markets.
The drought plaguing the Tri-Counties and the rest of the state has the agriculture industry on red alert. With 2014 forecast to be the driest year in California history, Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a drought emergency in the state, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 27 counties in California as primary natural disaster areas, including the tri-county region.
What was once the country’s third-largest mushroom producer is facing a complaint filed by the city seeking nearly $200,000, and a civil suit by Shell Energy North America for an unpaid line of credit.
Santa Barbara County’s economy relies heavily on its billion-dollar tourism and agricultural industries, two of the fastest-growing sectors of California’s economy by number of jobs. But those are also industries with highly seasonal workforces and generally low-paying wages.
In response to economic losses caused by the statewide drought, certain small businesses across California, including in the Tri-Counties, are now eligible to apply for low-interest federal loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the agency announced on Jan. 21. Small, non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, nonprofit Read More →
Shares of Santa Paula-based Limoneira Co. plunged 8.1 percent in mid-afternoon trading on Monday after the company reported a fourth-quarter loss of $1.1 million, compared to a $141,000 profit a year earlier. The loss was primarily the result of lower avocado volume and revenue, the firm said.