Growing California Avocados

The Supplemental Disaster Relief Program provides payments to agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. The process involves two stages. The deadline for both stages has been extended to August 12.

The California Avocado Society’s last avocado grower seminar of the year is entitled, “GEM vs. Hass.” The seminar will take place in person August 18 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the San Diego Farm Bureau Office located at 420 South Broadway in Escondido.

A recent blog post by Dr. Ben A. Faber provides growers with cultural management best practices to assess and address damage to avocado trees caused by heat stress. In addition, CAC has multiple online resources available to help growers address heat-related issues that impact groves and employees.

The 2025 crop reports for California counties are now available online. The reports provide an overview of agricultural data from the previous year and a look at factors that impact profitability, top crops, total acreage and market trends.

A new online computer program — the Distribution Uniformity and Return-on-Investment Estimator — helps growers measure how evenly their irrigation system applies water while identifying areas in need of maintenance, repairs or upgrades.

The Avocado Conference, hosted by the Hass Avocado Board and The Packer, will bring together the entire U.S. avocado supply chain to foster connections and insights that benefit the industry. The event will take place from November 18 – 20 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel.

Each year, the California Avocado Commission conducts a grower crop survey to collect data that helps the Commission more accurately predict the flow of avocados to market and fine tune the California crop estimate. Growers are encouraged to submit their crop estimates online.

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources is offering reduced-cost Produce Safety Alliance Grower Trainings. The sessions take place virtually and are just $10 for California residents. California growers should be certain to select the California registration option when registering to ensure they receive the reduced cost option.

For growers who submitted their 2025 eligible acres before the April 24, 2026 deadline, the USDA Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program has allocated $1.625 billion through a one-time bridge payment for specialty crops not covered through the Farm Bridge Assistance program.