Agriculture, Weights & Measures
If you've ever been to a farmers’ market, checked out at a
grocery store, pumped gas, or wondered if your produce was organic,
then you've benefitted from the Department of Agriculture, Weights
& Measures (AWM).
As part of the County’s Land Use & Environment Group, we're here to serve you.
What AWM Does For You
- Ensures pesticides are used safely and investigates related illness.
- Prevents the spread of pests that harm agriculture and the environment.
- Promotes the use of natural pest controls.
- Verifies produce that is marked as organic.
- Ensures vendors at farmers' markets grow what they sell.
- Verifies that commercial weighing and measuring devices and price scanners are accurate.
- Protects people from injury
and disease caused by wildlife.
Dairies Under H5N1 Quarantines Released
Dairies previously under quarantine for H5N1 have been released. California is still at Stage 3 under the National Milk Testing Strategy due to intermittent low-level detections. Milk will still be tested across the state for the next few months.
H5N1 detections continue in wildlife across the state. H5N1 remains a reportable disease in livestock in California, and producers should still report any clinical signs consistent with H5N1 by calling CDFA's hotline: (866) 922-2473
Stay up to date on H5N1 and learn more on CDFA's HPAI Animal Health website, as well as in this CDFA Dairy Update Factsheet from CDFA.
Hazard Mitigation Plan Survey Open Through April 3
The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services has launched a community engagement survey for the Hazard Mitigation Plan update. Responses to the survey will inform updates to the Hazard Mitigation Plan by helping identify concerns about hazards and potential actions to reduce their impact. The survey will be open until April 3.
- Survey Link: Hazard Mitigation Plan | Engage San Diego County
San Diego County Future of Food Job Fair: April 9
Join the San Diego County Future of Food Job Fair on April 9, where job seekers and employers can connect for opportunities in agriculture, water, technology, logistics, CPG, and food manufacturing.
San Diego County Future of Food Job Fair:
- Date: Thursday, April 9
- Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Location: Escondido AgX Regional Innovation Hub, 455 N. Quince St., Escondido, CA 92025
- Registration: bit.ly/futureoffoodsd
Mexican Fruit Fly Quarantine in La Mesa Area (March 2026)
CDFA has declared a quarantine in the La Mesa area on March 5, 2026, after the confirmed detection of five Mexican Fruit Flies (Mexflies) on four residential properties. The new quarantine will extend through La Mesa, Spring Valley, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, and San Diego. Read more in CDFA's and the County of San Diego's news releases.
- Learn more about MexFly and find an interactive map of the quarantine area on CDFA's website.
- Read CDFA's amended Proclamation of Emergency Program (PEP) for the Mexican Fruit Fly in La Mesa, and find a map of where CDFA is performing sterile insect technique (SIT) releases.
- Residents with Mexfly host plants are asked not to remove fruit from their property.
- Commercial growers can obtain a Mexfly Compliance Agreement to continue to ship, process, harvest and/or sell their crops by contacting us at CQP.AWM@sdcounty.ca.gov or (858) 614-7770.
- To report sustpicious pests, please call the CDFA hotline at (800) 491-1899.
Citrus Quarantine Declared in Ramona (March 2026)
CDFA has confirmed the detection of the citrus disease Huanglonging (HLB) in two trees on a residential property in the Ramona area of San Diego County on March 2, 2026. This is the fifth HLB quarantine in the region with ongoing quarantines in Fallbrook, Oceanside, Rancho Bernardo, and Valley Center.
- View an interactive map of the quarantine area or visit CitrusInsider.org to learn more.
- To report sustpicious pests or HLB symptoms, please call the CDFA hotline at (800) 491-1899.
California Leads National Horticulture Sales with $3.07 Billion
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States.
Horticulture production occurred primarily in 10 states, which accounted for 67% of all U.S. horticulture sales in 2024. California ($3.07 billion), Florida ($2.15 billion) and Oregon ($1.29 billion) led the nation in sales.
Learn more in CDFA's Planting Seeds Blog post.
Multi-Hazard Farm-Ranch Emergency Plan Guide
CDFA California Animal Response Emergency Support (CARES) releases Multi-Hazard Farm-Ranch Emergency Plan Guide to help farmers and ranchers prepare in case of disasters.
Cotton Seed Bug (CSB) and Thrips Parvispinus
Two new invasive pests have been found in San Diego County nurseries: Cotton Seed Bug (CSB) and Thrips Parvispinus. Both pests are A-rated, meaning they are of known economic or environmental detriment. Learn more and help keep these pests from spreading by reading the fact sheets linked below:
- Cotton Seed Bug Technical Bulletin (USDA)
- Cotton Seed Bug Pest Alert (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
- Thrips Parvispinus (PennState Extension)
- Thrips Parvispinus Distribution Update (UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research & Education Center)
For more questions and info, please contact AWM's Pest Exclusion Division at PHPP.AWM@sdcounty.ca.gov or (760) 752-4700.
New World Screwworm (NWS)
New World Screwworm (NWS) is a fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of animals, including livestock, pets, wildlife, and even people.
CDFA is conducting outreach after recent detections in Oaxaca, Mexico, and encourages the public to stay alert and report any maggots in a wound or animals with draining, foul-smelling sores to CDFA's Sick Animal Hotline at (866) 922-BIRD (2473).
Private Applicator Certification Exam: Schedule Online
Popular Services