Davis Vows Relief for Citrus Industry

In his first official journey outside the capital, Gov. Gray Davis came to the farming heart of the San Joaquin Valley on Tuesday for a firsthand look at what last month’s freeze did to California citrus.

Trudging through a foggy field in Fresno County, Davis examined the juiceless core of a damaged lemon and pronounced it useless.

He told a group of growers, politicians and idled farm laborers that he is working on several fronts to obtain prompt federal and state relief.

Davis said he talked to his “good friend” Vice President Al Gore the night before about cutting red tape for California. “Al, this is my first disaster. I know you don’t want to let me down,” the governor said he told Gore.

Late Tuesday, the vice president announced $1.8 million in immediate federal funds for shelter and food for farm workers. Davis administration officials said the Labor Department grant--which falls far short of meeting the needs of citrus pickers and packers--is an important beginning.

“I am determined to see this problem through,” Davis told about 100 people gathered at the Harlan ranch in Clovis.

Unlike earthquakes, weather-related farm disasters do not trigger immediate state relief funds. A week of below-freezing temperatures--the lowest since 1990--wiped out the San Joaquin Valley’s lemon crop and damaged 60% to 70% of the orange crop, an estimated $575-million loss to the state’s $26-billion-a-year farm industry.

Instead of going straight home Tuesday, Davis--who calls education his top priority--planned a detour to attend a basketball game at Richmond High School in the Bay Area. The coach there had kept players off the court until he determined that their classroom performance had improved.