The Department of Water Resources released this announcement. The initial State Water Project allocation is 5% of requested supplies for 2023. The SWP provides water to 29 public water agencies that serve 27 million Californians. As the state prepares for a fourth dry year and continued extreme drought conditions in California, DWR will also assess…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
Congress Expected To Act On Potential Rail Strike
Agriculture groups welcome President Biden’s call on Congress to avert a potential rail worker strike. Corey Rosenbusch of The Fertilizer Institute praised the action by Biden, adding, “Congress must act now to ensure that fertilizers and other critical materials and goods that U.S. consumers rely on every day get to where they are needed.” The…… MORE
Farm Share of Food Dollar Reaches Historic Low
U.S. farms received 14.5 cents per dollar spent on domestically produced food in 2021 which is a decrease of one cent from a revised 15.5 cents in 2020. The figure is the lowest recorded farm share value in nearly three decades, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service. The remaining portion of the food dollar, known…… MORE
Census of Agriculture Includes Hemp Farming
For the first time, the USDA will collect data on farmers growing hemp and using precision technology in the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The agency began regulating hemp production in 2021, and this will be the first census to publish data on those producers, who grow the crop for fabric, food products, and CBD. The…… MORE
Birmingham Retiring from Westlands Water Dist.
There is a major shakeup atop the powerful Westlands Water District on the horizon. Tom Birmingham, the District’s longtime General Manager, announced he will retire at year’s end. According to reports, Birmingham was in line to be replaced by a newly-elected board which was not satisfied with the direction of the district. Birmingham has served…… MORE
USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture
The USDA mailed survey codes to all known U.S. ag producers with the invitation to respond online to the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov. The ag census is the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and territory. By completing the survey, producers across the nation can tell their stories…… MORE
Proposed WIC Change Would Decrease Access to Dairy Products
The National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association say the USDA’s proposed changes to the Women, Infants, and Children’s Nutrition Program will limit dairy access. “Unfortunately, the changes would decrease access to dairy products and the unique nutrient profile they provide, especially considering the current Dietary Guidelines say almost 90% of the…… MORE
California Part Of Growing Cotton Production Movement
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol released a report showing increasing improvement in the sustainability of American cotton production. The report shows significant improvements in important sustainability metrics. Cotton Trust Protocol members have recorded a 13% increase in land use efficiency and a 14% increase in water use efficiency. There’s also a 25% reduction in energy…… MORE
House/Senate Ag Leadership Stays The Same For Now
Leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees will likely be the same in the next Congress. Who controls the majority in the House, along with the Senate, will have a significant say in the 2023 Farm Bill process. Ranking Republican Glenn GT Thompson was re-elected Tuesday and seems poised to chair the committee, if…… MORE
Ag Lender Survey Results
The top concern facing agricultural lenders going into 2023 is interest rate volatility, according to the 2022 Agricultural Lender Survey report. The report is produced jointly by the American Bankers Association and Farmer Mac. Nearly half of respondents ranked interest rate volatility among their top two concerns, up 35.5 percentage points from last year. While…… MORE
