California Crush report could be delayed due to government shutdown
The US government’s shutdown which has been in place since December 22nd could delay the publication of the annual California Grape Crush Report, accoridng to the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
The deadline for wineries to submit their data from the 2018 harvest to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) was last Thursday. However, NASS employees who are responsible for producing the report are currently on unpaid leave until funding is restored, and if the shutdown continues the timely publication of the report is increasingly unlikely.
Many growers and wineries rely on the Crush Reprot to establish grape pricing. “The Crush Report, which the industry pays for, provides essential financial information to California winegrape growers,” said Bill Berryhill, a Ceres-area grower and chair of the CAWG board of directors.
“Lengthy delays in publishing the report threaten to complicate contract negotiations, interfere with lending activity and make it difficult for growers to budget for the year ahead. “We need our elected leaders in Washington, D.C. to quickly resolve this budget impasse and get programs like the Crush Report back up and running,” Berryhill added.
NASS is not the only government agency that has been hit by the shutdown. Other agencies include Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agricultural Research Service, Farm Service Agency, Foreign Agricultural Service, Risk Management Agency, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.