March 2026 Newsletter
The California Avocado Commission (CAC) is in the midst of significant upheaval
The California Avocado Commission (CAC) is in the midst of significant upheaval, given our financial and governance crises. The context for the existential threats growers face is complex, and there are many issues that we are facing as individual growers as well as an ag sector. We cannot be certain on how our community, the CAC, the state and federal elected officials and government departments, and the finance sector, will respond to these developing events, and how they will affect our ability to continue to commercially grow and sell avocados with success. Specifically, let’s deal with the following:
1. The ongoing review of the USMCA and its renewal
2. The near-monopoly corporatization of the avocado industry as Mission takes financial ownership of Calavo, and increasing amounts of unregulated and unknown actual provenance fruit floods the U.S. market from foreign sources
3. The continued investigative reporting on the environmental devastation and cartel-contaminated conflict-fruit industry of Mexico’s avocado growing regions, and the ways Mexico and the U.S. are responding to these challenges.
4. The import pipeline being rocked by violence with elimination of cartel leadership by Mexican government attacks, and their seizure and extradition to the United States to be tried in courts.
5. Our continuing challenges to reform the CAC’s actions to conform with its legal obligations and responsibilities, and to help control and contain the threats producers continue to face in establishing adherence to those, as our fellow American avocado community members who are importers and handlers act in an adversarial way to disempower and deprive us of the ability to democratically self-govern.
John Berns, Board member for District 3, has presented a grower survey concerning many of these issues at the recent AGC meeting, and our assistance in getting completed responses from you will be of major importance in understanding the priorities you see in handling our present circumstances. It is available on the AAF website.
Now, some quick updates:
GRIEVANCE SUBMISSIONS. The 5 grievances submissions are being considered by a committee, and two meetings have allowed us to present and discuss Grievances I, III and IV. The committee members are working diligently on these, but have evidenced a lack of preparation for what their responsibilities and obligations are in the process, along with the background and details of the concerns raised by us. Duane Urquhart and Jack Poe have commented on these in correspondence with the Committee and Board, reinforcing what the formal grievant, Norm Kachuck, discussed with them during the sessions. These are available on the AAF website. Grievance II was deferred by us, and Grievance V, concerning the Public Records Request, is being handled by our attorney Madison Spacht, with the Board’s legal counsel, George Soares.
CAC REFERENDUM. The Referendum ballots have been distributed, and are to be submitted to the CDFA by March 18. The percentages of assessed members participating in past votes have been in the 25% range, a bit higher than the 14% representation of recent board seat elections, but still woefully inadequate as a true indicator of the potential power of our votes on CAC actions.
No unified leadership guidance or position has been offered to us on how to decide on the present up- or down-vote options, and the vote is being performed before the grievance concerning voter eligibility has been presented to the Board, and very early in to what appears to be a terrible market-price season for all of us, in all districts and throughout the calendar year, which would reasonably reflect badly on the CAC’s capacity for leadership and advocacy. No matter how you decide to vote, please make the effort to make your voice heard in the ballot, and in communication to the Board of your concerns about how to best help the CAC remain a meaningful and successful organization for those it is to represent.
MEETING AGENDAS FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND PARTICIPATION
Controversial issues are on the agendas of two scheduled meetings this week: the (hybrid) Governance Committee Meeting this Wednesday, March 4, and the (in-person only) Board Meeting Thursday, March 5. We need to be strongly represented at both. The AAF website has the location and access information for them, along with agenda material.
CAC GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. Robert Jackson, who chairs the governance committee, conveys this message to us:
“I would like to invite you to attend our Governance meeting on March 4, 2026. These three important issues will be on the agenda, and I invite anyone with positive and creative discussion on these issues to address the committee: 1) Producer Definition; 2) Producer Eligibility to Vote; 3) The role of Handlers on CAC Board.”
CAC BOARD MEETING
There are several agenda items of especial concern, including appointments for vacant Board seats without popular votes and any action on recommendations forthcoming from the Redistricting Committee to reduce the number of Districts from 5 to 4 by combining Districts 1 and 2. This reduces the number of producer board seats to 8, and wreaks havoc on the southern California growers’ membership representation. This is part and parcel with the use of a voter’s market volume as a measure of how many votes they deserve to be allowed to cast, and, like other redistricting strategies seen by the U.S. in recent times, can be seen as profoundly undemocratic and discriminatory.
If possible, every one of us should try our best to be present at one or both, and strongly consider making public comments at them. On the AAF website, you can find written background and opinion writings from other members, which can be used to inform your understanding of the issues, and help structure anything you might be able to contribute during the meetings.
On the AAF website, you will find a page with the following updates and materials pertinent to our present needs:
Rick Carey. Failures of the USDA economic impact study on Mexican avocado industry access to US market
Rick Carey. Imports set the pricing floor
Rick Carey and Norm Kachuck. Consequences of the Mission-Calavo merger
Jack Poe. Letter to the CAC Board, October 27, 2025
Jack Poe, Letter to the Grievance Committee, February 27, 2026
Norm Kachuck. Comments on the USTR USMCA Review
Duane Urquhart. Commentary on Grievance Committee meeting February 27, 2026
Thank you for your willingness to participate in this fight for justice, fairness, and financial survival, folks, and to work with us to correct the missteps committed by the Commission that was created to promote and advocate for us.