Fire, smoke, Coronavirus restrictions vex CA farmers at harvest time. World Ag Expo cancellation.

It’s been a tough year for many of California’s major crops. The combination of the Covid-19 shutdown, wildfires and persistent smoke throughout California, but especially in the Central Valley, have slowed crop development, interfered with the harvest, hampered farm labor, and possibly may taint one very important California agricultural commodity, wine grapes. And all the coronavirus restrictions have caused astonishing disruptions to the California produce business, with sales at 20% below late winter forecasts. Another Covid-19 related casualty: the 2021 World Ag Expo in Tulare. It’s been cancelled. We’ll tell you why. We have all that, extensive crop reports, the week ahead in weather, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.