Crop forecasts and other local business news
| Thursday, Jun 17 2010 04:19 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Jun 17 2010 04:19 PM
The USDA has released a crop production forecast based on a survey done in late May and early June.
The 2010 California apricot crop forecast is 60,000 tons, up 1 percent from the 2009 crop, and cherries are up 15 percent from last year to 90,000 tons. Peaches are up 5 percent to 365,000 tons.
Pears/bartlett are down 2 percent to 195,000 tons, and dried plums (prunes) dropped 10 percent to 150,000 tons.
Production forecasts are released on a monthly basis and do not reflect final production estimates. Late summer and fall harvests may change estimates considerably.
Bank of the Sierra has awarded $1,500 to Mobility Opportunities Via Education International, or MOVE.
The program is offered at schools and care facilities throughout Kern County, and is designed to help children with severe motor disabilities acquire motor skills and independence.
The bank also gave $2,000 to Assistance League of Bakersfield. The league assists economically disadvantaged children, and will use the money to pay for school clothing.
Another $1,000 went to Golden Empire Gleaners Inc. to feed needy residents of Kern County.
Kaiser Permanente Kern County's Community Benefit awarded a total of $135,500 in community grants to local agencies working to improve access to insurance and health care.
Another $18,937 was awarded for HIV/AIDS prevention and education.
Two Bakersfield companies will be among the honorees at Southern California Minority Business Development Council's 25th annual Supplier of the Year awards luncheon 11 a.m. July 8 at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel, 251 S. Olive St., Los Angeles.
The Bakersfield honorees are T.J. Cross Engineers and S.C. Anderson Inc.
There are a total of 41 award nominees employing more than 106,000 people with gross annual sales of nearly $1.4 billion, according to John W. Murray Jr., president of the council.
Tickets are $100. For information, call (213) 689-6940.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is directing $4.2 million in federal stimulus funds to help disabled, unemployed Californians.
The new funding for the Disability Program Navigator project will provide job search assistance to the disabled.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding will provide the project with additional staff, assistive technology and adaptive equipment at local One-Stop Career Centers.
