Riverside and Imperial County Grower Liaison Positions Now Accepting Proposals

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is currently accepting proposals for two contractors to serve as grower liaisons – one for Riverside County and one for Imperial County. Responsibilities of grower liaisons may include conducting outreach directly to growers in the designated county, providing up-to-date information on the latest industry news or regulatory updates, staying engaged in CDFA activities, communicating voluntary or mandatory treatments throughout the area and more. Proposals for Riverside County are now being accepted through March 19 and proposals for Imperial County will be accepted through March 24.

The battle to save the California citrus industry from the threat of Huanglongbing (HLB) and the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is a collaborative effort that involves local, county, state and federal officials, researchers, scientists and commercial citrus growers. To help facilitate pest management and disease eradication, grower liaisons are key pieces to the puzzle.

To submit a bid for one of the contracts, you must follow these steps:

• Visit ca.gov, if you do not have a profile you must register for one in order to view the Request for Proposal (RFP).
• Once logged in, visit the Get Public Procurement Information page and select “See current bids.”
• Under “Search Events,” type in “Asian Citrus Psyllid Outreach and Education.”
• Once on the Events Details page, click “View Event Package,” then under the “View Attachments” area, click “View” to download the official Request for Proposal for the appropriate county. Once there, you should be able to view the full RFP and Start a Bid if you meet the qualifications. Please note, you must have a profile and be logged in to view the RFP.

This position requires a fundamental knowledge of citrus production; a working knowledge of grove operations; and the relationship between growers, shippers and allied businesses that work in the area of pest and disease control. A Pest Control Advisor’s license is desirable, but not required. The contractor should be familiar with California agriculture and specifically its citrus industry. Knowledge of the ACP and HLB is desirable.

Submission deadlines and terms of contract differ per region. Please see below for details:

• Riverside County: Proposals are due to CDFA by March 19 for Riverside County. The term of contract is April 1, 2021 or upon final signature, whichever is later, through June 30, 2022.
• Imperial County: Proposals are due to CDFA by March 24 for Riverside County. The term of contract is April 1, 2021 or upon final signature, whichever is later, through March 31, 2023.

For additional questions, contact Contracts Analyst Donna Weber at donna.weber@cdfa.ca.gov.