The Legislature has advanced a measure that would require all state institutions to purchase California-grown products ahead of others. Assembly Bill 778 would replace the state’s current mandate for 5% of those purchases to go to California producers. The Farm Bureau is sponsoring the measure.
A similar measure sponsored by the Ag Council was proposing a 25% purchase preference. But the author pulled the measure to consolidate efforts into one bill this year. The Farm Bureau did not support that measure, saying it would not give California producers a competitive foothold.
The Ag Council said it would support AB 778 if it is amended to reflect some of the provisions in their bill, which the author agreed to.
