Although cities are generally required to have the housing element of their general plan certified every five years or so, Vacaville hasn't had its housing element certified since 1990. Boese discussed the future direction of the food processing industry in the two counties and didn't exactly bring good news to a group of people who just completed a harvest with nearly rock-bottom prices being paid for California fruits and vegetables. Production of these and other crops has shifted elsewhere due to high fuel and energy costs in California, tough air-quality standards, urban sprawl and rising costs for water, Boese said. Boese's lobbying group, the California League of Food Processors, represents California's canners, freezers and dehydrators in Sacramento. Tomatoes are the No. 1 crop driving the organization, a crop that has fallen on especially difficult times since 1999's statewide bumper crop due to overplanting because of an undersupply in 1998.
Tomato farmers continue to reel from the aftermath.
Tomato paste today sells in stores at a break-even price, meaning many farmers can't afford to plant again next year without substantial financing. Boese also points out rising natural gas prices, which translate into tens of millions more dollars spent on running tomato canneries. As much as 25 percent of the value of tomatoes is getting eaten up in the cost of transportation. Tomato growers in Solano and Yolo counties have faced additional tomato disasters in the last several years with the closing of three local tomato processing facilities, including International Home Foods in Vacaville, which closed in 1998, Hunt-Wesson in Davis and Del Monte in Woodland. All three were among the state's oldest plants.