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Today, Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson) expressed dismay over the announced closure of Del Monte Foods' cannery in Modesto, which will eliminate hundreds of year-round and seasonal jobs in the heart of California's agricultural region. The Del Monte plant's shutdown marks the end of an era for the Central Valley’s storied canning industry once the lifeblood of our farms, families, and communities.
"This shutdown isn't just about one plant—it's a symptom of the failed policies that have turned the Golden State into a graveyard for businesses," said Senator Alvarado-Gil, vice chair of the Senate Agricultural Committee, who also noted having grown up on Del Monte foods. "They were everyday staples in our pantry!”
For decades, California's Democrat-controlled legislature has increasingly imposed burdensome corporate regulations, taxes, and extreme environmental mandates that make it difficult for industries like agriculture and manufacturing to thrive in the Central Valley.
High energy costs from green energy experiments, restrictive water policies that hurt farmers have driven companies like Del Monte to the brink, while neighboring states offer tax incentives and regulatory relief. As a result, businesses are fleeing California in droves, taking jobs and economic opportunity with them.
“The people of the Central Valley deserve better than to watch their livelihoods vanish because Sacramento prioritizes radical agendas over hardworking families," Alvarado-Gil continued.
"We need substantial business reforms: tax cuts, deregulation, and policies that support our farmers and workers, not punish them. I stand with the affected employees and growers, and I'll continue to fight to reverse this damaging trend."