In
California, silent water war fought underground as farms and cities compete for
groundwater [Associated Press]
…Throughout
the Central Valley — one of the world's most productive agricultural regions —
farmers, residents and cities have seen their wells go dry. Those who can
afford it have drilled deeper wells that can cost hundreds of thousands of
dollars. Experts say water supplies have been strained by growing city
populations and massive tracts of newly planted orchards and vineyards….The
drops create concerns that groundwater is becoming unaffordable and that
overuse could cause serious land subsidence, which can damage infrastructure
such as roads.
Stanislaus
County supervisors to vote on water export rules next month [Modesto Bee]
By
next month, Stanislaus County is expected to have a long-awaited ordinance to
restrict groundwater exports and prohibit the sale of groundwater outside the
county. The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote Oct. 1 on an ordinance
billed as a starting point for preventing the adverse effects of groundwater
overdrafting. The ordinance has exemptions for local irrigation districts, but
proponents said it will protect a vital resource by outlawing out-of-county
groundwater sales and transfers that threaten to deplete aquifers.
House
Republicans in California find a struggle on immigration [New York Times]
…
As the immigration debate simmers in Washington, California Republicans face a
very different reality than a majority of their party colleagues, who elsewhere
largely represent districts that are overwhelmingly white. More than half of
California’s 15 Republican members of Congress have districts that are at least
30 percent Latino, making them potentially vulnerable to Democratic challenges
and prime targets for those pushing for a path to citizenship. In Mr. Valadao’s
district, Latinos make up 70 percent of the population….Mr. Valadao, the son of
Portuguese immigrants, is one of a few Republicans in the state offering
full-throated support for sweeping changes to the country’s immigration laws.
Representatives Jeff Denham and Devin Nunes, whose districts include northern
stretches of the state’s agricultural center, have said they would support some
kind of legalization process for the nation’s roughly 11 million illegal
immigrants, the most divisive issue in the debate.
Agricultural
technology use growing in California [San Francisco Chronicle]
…The
citrus robot is just one of the new technological advances that farmers and
ranchers are using to become more efficient and sustainable as they are
challenged with a shrinking labor force.…Last year, California growers had to
scrounge, borrow and beg to get their crops picked on time as fewer seasonal
workers made the trek across the border….California farmers are scrambling to
make up the loss with technology. In the past, researchers and engineers have
seen their innovations delayed by industry crises and redeployed resources,
Batkin said. The citrus harvester has been in the works for nine years.
"This time, economists are warning us that the labor crunch could get
worse, so we're putting the band back together," he said, adding that they
are now working on the harvester in earnest and are two years from getting the
robot in the field.
*Link may
require paid subscription; text included in attached Word file.
A
year later, search for UC Davis ag dean grinds on [Sacramento Bee]
His
abrupt departure last August from one of the nation's premier agricultural
colleges echoed throughout California, from its vast agribusiness community to
environmentalists and state leaders. Now, more than a year after Neal Van Alfen
resigned as dean of UC Davis' College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, a permanent successor has yet to be named. University leaders and
search committee members say they will finally begin to consider finalists in
the fall. The length of the selection process, with dozens of interests having
their say, reflects the broad reach of the University of California, Davis,
agricultural school.
Editorial: Cashing in on Uncle
Sam's sweet tooth [Los Angeles Times]
…The
rationale behind the sugar program is the same one used to justify every
federal farm subsidy: To ensure a reliable food supply, farmers should be
protected against the unpredictable and potentially ruinous swings in harvests
and crop prices, not to mention unfair foreign competition. The most
straightforward way to do so would be a means-tested system that helps farmers
who run into financial trouble. There's limited sensitivity to need in U.S.
farm programs, however. As a result, their benefits flow overwhelmingly to the
largest — and, consequently, most durable — agribusinesses….The unusually high
farm profits in recent years have given Congress a golden opportunity to try to
wean agribusiness from federal subsidies and market-distorting protections. But
lawmakers seem incapable of making meaningful changes even to a program as
flawed and costly to consumers as the one that protects sugar beets and sugar
cane farmers regardless of their potential to thrive without Uncle Sam's help.
Ag
Today is distributed by the CFBF Communications/News Division to county Farm
Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes; stories may
not be republished without permission. Some story links may require site
registration. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this
message and please provide your name and e-mail address. For more
information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment