Assemblyman praised after $9 million USDA aid for peach growers

Assemblyman James Gallagher joined the Sutter County Board of Supervisors and received public thanks for his role in winning federal relief after the Del Monte processing facility closed. "This has been a community effort," Gallagher said, praising local organizers and federal partners for moving the aid forward.

Peach grower Ranji Davitt told the board the combined relief package includes $9,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture plus roughly $1,500,000 from grower associations. He said the funds will be distributed to growers as a modest per‑ton payment to ease immediate losses. "The 9,000,000 that we were able to obtain...the association...will be adding 1,500,000 to the 9,000,000," Davitt said during public comment.

Why it matters: county officials said the package provides short‑term relief to family farms that lost contracts and revenue streams after the plant closure. Supervisors said they will continue to press for additional supports and look for ways to preserve local value chains.

What’s next: supervisors asked staff to remain engaged with growers and with state and federal partners on lingering impacts and recovery steps.