Covid-19: Official statement by CTGA

On behalf of our members, the California Tomato Growers Association, wants to take this opportunity to provide you with an update on our current situation in California. While Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced a “Stay at Home” order for all Californians, agriculture and food processing are considered critical sectors necessary for our nation’s infrastructure and we continue to operate.

Our growers, taking the proper precautions for good hygiene and social distancing to minimize and eliminate any risk, are now out in the field. The land is being prepped and many of our growers have begun transplanting tomatoes in preparation for the growing season. Know that our industry has been following longstanding state and federal regulations to prevent anyone who is sick or has a communicable disease from handling, processing or preparing food for human consumption.

You should also know that scientists and authorities across the world have been monitoring the spread of COVID-19 for quite some time and there have not been any reports of transmission of the virus through food. All the field operations and facilities handling our tomatoes are audited and certified. While the virus has created great concern, know that we do not anticipate a disruption to our supply chain.

In addition, we continue to monitor industry briefings and updates from the CDC, USDA, FDA, CDFA and other state and federal governmental organizations. Every day brings new developments related to the virus that are impacting all of us. However, know that our top priority is the safety of our employees and the surety of our tomato products supply for our customers.