WASHINGTON INSIGHT

CALIFORNIA AGGIES: In last year’s California Senate races, the agriculture industry put all its eggs in two baskets. Agribusiness gave big bucks almost exclusively to the Republican nominees, John Seymour and Bruce Herschensohn. Now, naturally, agriculture lobbyists are scrambling to cozy up to the Democrats who won--Sens. Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. . . . At the same time, both lawmakers are moving to woo farmers who opposed them. They have opened offices in the Central Valley and vowed to fight for the state’s farming interests, despite their support for legislation that would divert irrigation water to cities. . . . Lobbyists are plumb tickled that Feinstein won a seat on the Senate’s agricultural appropriations subcommittee. “She’s in a position to be very helpful,” said one. “This alleviates some of the concern that she won’t be as friendly to us as Seymour and (former Democratic Sen. Alan) Cranston.” . . . But Feinstein and Boxer have yet to meet the true test of loyalty to the state’s agribusiness community: Unlike their predecessors, neither senator offers free boxes of California raisins to visitors to their Washington offices.