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Western Growers urges governor to declare emergency due to water supply.
United States
Wednesday 25 June 2008
Western Growers is calling upon counties in the Central Valley and Gov. Schwarzenegger to immediately declare a state of emergency due to water supply conditions.
The San Joaquin Valley is experiencing the driest spring in 88 years, and the federal court decision to reduce the amount of water pumped from the Delta has already caused farmers to fallow 200,000 acres in response.
The Bureau of Reclamation just announced additional reductions in water deliveries. It is anticipated that another 10,000 acres or more will be removed from production if action is not taken quickly.
Thousands of acres of lettuce, onions, melons, tomatoes and other produce will not be grown. Consumers will be paying more at the grocery stores, and the reduced quantities of produce available will come from areas well beyond California adding additional economic and environmental costs to the situation.
Western Growers is an agricultural trade association whose members from Arizona and California grow, pack and ship 90% of the fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables grown in California and 75% of those commodities in Arizona. This totals about half of the nation’s fresh produce.
The San Joaquin Valley is experiencing the driest spring in 88 years, and the federal court decision to reduce the amount of water pumped from the Delta has already caused farmers to fallow 200,000 acres in response.
The Bureau of Reclamation just announced additional reductions in water deliveries. It is anticipated that another 10,000 acres or more will be removed from production if action is not taken quickly.
Thousands of acres of lettuce, onions, melons, tomatoes and other produce will not be grown. Consumers will be paying more at the grocery stores, and the reduced quantities of produce available will come from areas well beyond California adding additional economic and environmental costs to the situation.
Western Growers is an agricultural trade association whose members from Arizona and California grow, pack and ship 90% of the fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables grown in California and 75% of those commodities in Arizona. This totals about half of the nation’s fresh produce.
