Food & Agr. Code, § 7401

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Broomrape is an invasive weed that presents a clear and present danger to California’s agricultural industry due to its harmful impact on crop yields and land values of commercial food crops, including, but not limited to, lettuce, tomato, cauliflower, potato, hemp, eggplant, pomegranate, peppers, beans, peas, carrot, celery, mustard, spinach, sunflower, safflower, and fennel. Susceptible food crops, with an economic value at nearly six billion dollars ($6,000,000,000), may experience up to 70 percent annual crop losses in areas infested with broomrape. Broomrape also impacts commercial seed production and can make agricultural land unusable for planting susceptible crops for decades.

(b) Broomrape represents a clear and present danger to California’s natural environment, with susceptible hosts comprising native California flora, including rare or endangered species, such as showy Indian clover (T. amoenum), Buck’s clover (T. buckwestiorum), and Monterey clover (Trifolium trichocalyx). The potential long-term damage to California’s native biodiversity and environment from this pest may be irreparable and action must be taken to ensure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment by developing and involving regulatory procedures for protection of the environment.

(c) The state’s agricultural economy and environment could be rapidly and seriously damaged if measures are not expanded to prevent the spread of broomrape, which can produce an estimated 10,000 to 100,000 seeds per infectious plant.

(d) Financial support for the purposes of this chapter shall be provided by commodities designated in this chapter or included by the board and concurred in by the secretary in accordance with procedures specified in this chapter, and by public funds when available.

(e) The necessity of controlling broomrape is recognized as being in the public interest.

(f) This chapter is enacted in the exercise of the police power of the state for the purpose of protecting the health, peace, safety, and general welfare of the people of this state.