A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 23, 2008
2. Supply –
Drought ought to toughen state policies
California crops hit hard: S.J. farmers have enough water, but ranchers on edge
The
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Drought ought to toughen state policies
State water officials say
A severe drought ought to motivate the state's voters and policy makers to approve new water projects.
Meanwhile, the immediate problem must be addressed with voluntary conservation, because if that doesn't work, the only other response is forced rationing.
We have noted how local municipalities can help in being more aggressive about water conservation and management.
This is no knock against the city of
At the same time, at least half of
Water meters ought to be required of all water users in the state of
We have noted that there are many other options the state could use to limit water use, including incentives for landscaping without water and limits on water-intensive industries and activities.
This is not a popular proposal for this area, but that could also apply to agriculture.
Agriculture is already one of the most water-conserving industries there is, but it is also the largest water-using industry in the state.
There continue to be all kinds of methods for growers to reduce their water use.
Those methods not only alleviate pressure on the water supply but make good business sense for growers, many of whom have already converted from more wasteful methods of irrigation to more conservative ones.
Climate and weather has a great deal to do with
The early part of the past century and the century before were actually drier the past 70 or 80 years.
So what has changed?
It has not only added more people, but added acres in agricultural production. The only logical response to that change is that the state's water supply must also grow.
We continue to support proposals for developing new water sources. In large part that means building more dams and reservoirs in the Sierras.
But it also means tapping new technologies for desalination and water banking.
Those are long-term strategies that could ultimately ensure that
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080723/OPINION01/807230302
California crops hit hard: S.J. farmers have enough water, but ranchers on edge
The
By , Staff Writer
And while most
Agricultural Commissioner Scott Hudson is seeking a federal disaster declaration for
Overall, the losses are not great.
"It may be a small percentage of the total agriculture, but it has a significant impact on families, farm families that depend on agriculture ... and their farm workers,"
Bill Koster, who usually cultivates 800 acres of orchards and row crops in the
"I don't know if I'll be alive financially," he said. "I can't make a full season just on tree income alone."
Still, in one respect, he counts himself lucky. He planted all his available land in winter wheat and barley last fall and didn't have to rely on irrigation to bring in those crops this spring.
Many growers who planted crops in the spring, before the water shortage became evident, have lost their investments.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates the largest losses from dried-up rangelands at $80.4 million; the state's cotton crop, $61.5 million; and vegetables, $60.8 million.
Not surprisingly, counties topping the loss figures have significant livestock or cotton production, or both. Those are
With statewide agricultural production pegged at $32 billion a year, the $245 million in crop losses amounts to less than 1 percent of the total. But those losses could mount, experts warned.
"It's not going to take much to tip the scales in
Cattle and calves are the seventh-most valuable farm commodity in the county, with a value estimated at $103 million in 2007. Milk,
Bill Sanguinetti, a
"This isn't anything new; the '70s drought was much worse," Sanguinetti said, referring to a time when many communities imposed harsh water rationing. However, he added, "If this keeps going, then next year will be right up there with that."
Sanguinetti said he's in better shape than many ranchers he knows, with irrigated pasture to feed his stock.
Still, he's been compelled to reduce his herd, selling some calves before they've reached the ideal weight as well as some of his breeding cows.
"It's really starting to reduce cattle numbers, beef cattle numbers in a major way," said Darrell Sweet, a
Around the state, estimates are that annual rangelands have lost 70 percent to 80 percent of their normal feeding capacity, he said.
As a result, livestock producers face the tough choice of buying supplemental feed when grain and hay prices are at record levels; paying the increasing cost to truck cattle to other regions or states where pasture is available; or cutting their herds.
Herd reductions will have long-term consequences, Sweet said.
"It's like selling the factory," he said.
"If I sell half my cows now, even if I get normal rains this year, I have to buy some cows or raise them, so that's expensive," he said.
And it takes time. To take a young cow, raise her to breeding age, have her produce a calf and then raise that animal to sell into the market could take as long as four years, Sweet said.
The drought is just one more factor working against an industry already under pressure from high fuel prices.
Cheap transportation is key for ranchers, who typically bring fall-born calves out of Rocky Mountain states or other regions into
"That isn't going to pencil out very good," he said. "It particularly doesn't pencil when you bring them out here and it doesn't rain."#
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080722/A_BIZ/807220310/-1/A_NEWS05
No comments:
Post a Comment