California Rice Production

california rice fields

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California rice production provides approximately 500,000 acres of habitat annually. This habitat provides nearly 60% of the food resources consumed by wintering waterfowl in the Central Valley and is the sustenance for 2.5 million of the 5 million ducks using the Pacific Flyway.

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UC study provides look at consequences from water shortages

california drought

Below is a statement by Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition.

 

An updated study released today by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences provides a glimpse of the consequences of water supply shortages for the state of California. These effects will be felt as escalating unemployment, substantial economic loss and ongoing future water supply shortages.

“We expected the numbers to increase from the previous report released in May,” said Executive Director Mike Wade of the California Farm Water Coalition. “As the growing season continues, the numbers may go even higher.”

Updating the previous report, researchers underscored the importance of having sufficient surface water deliveries to replenish the groundwater being utilized by farmers to survive this unprecedented drought.

Increases in estimates of drought-related unemployment bring levels to approximately 2.5 times those experienced in the drought of 2009. The report also raised estimated losses to the state economy to more than $2.2 billion in 2014.

Impacts will be primarily focused in some of the state’s most vulnerable regions, particularly those regions serviced by the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project.

The report also warns that there is a better than 50 percent chance that water supply shortages may continue into next year, regardless of potential El Nino weather events.

Farmers are being forced to dip into groundwater savings, as well as turning to water transfers to weather these shortages.

“Farmers would prefer to be using the surface water they are paying to receive, but they have been forced to turn to groundwater supplies to offset the loss of 6.6 million acre-feet of water from surface supplies curtailed by drought and regulations,” said Wade. This loss of water illustrates the failure to upgrade a water storage and delivery system that was built when California’s population was only 23 million. We must prepare today for the growth we know is coming.

“Farmers, are using all the tools they have available, and have also turned to water markets to purchase available water. This water is coming at prices that are climbing toward $2,000 per acre-foot; instead of the normal $100-200 per acre-foot cost.

“California cannot withstand future years of drought without an improvement in its water infrastructure. At the same time, more common sense must be applied to regulations that keep water away from farms, people and businesses.”

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3/18/14: Estimate of unplanted acres jumps to 800,000; consumers expected to feel impacts

california drought

The California Farm Water Coalition has upgraded its estimate of acres farmers will leave idle this year to 800,000 acres, up from 500,000, because of a lack of water.

“Farmers are still waiting to the last minute to determine their planting schedules this year in hopes that the water situation will improve,” said Mike Wade, Coalition Executive Director. “But if dry conditions continue the number of unplanted acres will go up and as each day passes the prospects of returning to a normal water year evaporates.”

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California Pistachios

California Pistachios

Today, February 26, is National Pistachio Day!  To help celebrate we’ve brought together some fun facts, while some of California’s food bloggers and Setton Farms have teamed up to bring us some very special recipes.

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Learn More About Agricultural Drought Impacts

Updated 6/13/14: While many farmers will be fallowing, or not planting, their fields simply because there isn’t enough water to meet their needs, the Drought will be felt beyond the farm – impacting related industries and family dinners across the country.

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