(SACRAMENTO, CA) — Yesterday, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) rose to speak in support of Assembly House Resolution 28, which designated today, March 23, as California Agriculture Day. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Resilience,” in recognition of our farmers and farmworkers and their valiant efforts to keep food stocked in grocery stores and on family dining tables during a global pandemic. Garcia has released the following statement in honor of California Agriculture Day 2021:
“This year’s California Agriculture Day celebration is all the more significant to honor the tremendous sacrifices of our farmers and farmworkers, working tirelessly to keep food on our tables and ensure the stability of our food supply during this pandemic. This deadly virus has disproportionately impacted our essential agricultural workers, yet they continue to step up to the plate for us, showing up to work in the fields, packing sheds, and processing facilities.”
“COVID-19 has devastated our rural, agricultural communities, and I commend all the collaborative efforts in the Coachella Valley and Imperial County to prioritize these high-risk populations of essential workers for vaccine and testing resources. In partnership with our farmers, nonprofits, health organizations, and county public health departments, we have successfully administered vaccines to hundreds of farmworkers. This would not have been possible without the leadership and coordination of our local farmers, and I would like to thank all the growers and ranchers who have offered their farms and ranches to bring vaccination and testing sites directly to workers.”
“We have introduced legislation to prioritize COVID-19 vaccination and rapid testing resources for farmworkers and I am currently collaborating with members of our local agricultural industry on legislation to better support California agriculture amid these unprecedented challenges.”
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia’s Assembly Floor Remarks on HR 28
(Starting Time at Approximately 47:51)
