CDFA Secretary Karen Ross today joined University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and other partners to introduce the California AgTech Alliance, a statewide initiative intended to transform how agricultural technology moves from lab to field as well as coordinate nine regional innovation hubs designed to deploy cutting-edge technology, train the next generation of agricultural workers, and attract millions in private investment to California’s farming economy.
The Alliance is funded by $15 million from California Jobs First, which invests in key sectors–like Ag Tech–to drive sustainable economic growth, innovation, and access to good-paying jobs.
Appearing at a news conference today at FIRA USA in Woodland, Secretary Ross spoke of the vast potential of the Alliance while noting California’s position as the national leader in agricultural production. “Our state has been the number one ag producing state, by value, in every year that the United States has kept records — over 60 years,” she said. “At a time when we know there are a lot of pain-points in agriculture, last year we still broke a record with over $61 billion in farmgate value.”