Central Valley businesses see effect from drought [KFSN TV/Fresno]
The
California Ag industry is poised to take a hit from the ongoing drought, and
some Central Valley businesses are already seeing an effect. Custom Ag
Formulators in Fresno is in the business of making fertilizer sprays for farms,
locally and abroad. General Manager Patrick Murray says after three dry years,
they are seeing a slowdown in local demand for their product. "A lot of
people are not wanting to, what we call, pull the trigger," Murray said.
"They don't want to do a spray yet, unless they absolutely have to, not
knowing what they're going to be planting."…But not all businesses are
taking a hit. Larry Rompal of Agri-Valley Irrigation says their workload and
sales are increasing, with customers wanting more water-conscious irrigation
systems. He says the company saw more than a 10-percent growth last year, and
expects it to continue through 2014.
Mandatory
50% water cutbacks ordered by Russian River district [Santa Rosa Press
Democrat]
Ukiah
Valley residents, businesses and farmers will be required to cut their
dependence on Lake Mendocino water by half beginning next month. The Russian
River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District board of
directors Monday night unanimously adopted the 50 percent mandatory cutbacks in
an effort to maintain as much water as they can in drought-plagued Lake
Mendocino….The district holds Mendocino County's right to 8,000 acre feet of
water in Lake Mendocino. It sells that water to seven municipal water districts
and about 40 farmers. It's up to the individual water districts to implement
water saving measures….The Russian River district also will be asking farmers
within the district to notify them of any water they may not need this year.
Stanislaus
County’s Water Advisory Committee to meet Wednesday [Modesto Bee]
The
continuing drought and concerns about declining groundwater levels will set the
stage Wednesday for the first meeting of Stanislaus County’s Water Advisory
Committee. The panel of 21 appointed members is expected to make
recommendations about what should be done to protect the county’s groundwater
supply and to manage its water resources, but its specific objectives and
timeline haven’t been established….The expansion of groundwater pumping by
farmers has sparked worries about depleting the county’s aquifers. Some
community leaders have called for a moratorium on new agricultural wells, and
some environmental groups have filed lawsuits seeking a halt to well drilling
until environmental impacts are mitigated.
Drought
forces tough decisions on Ventura County cattle ranchers [Ventura County Star]
No
rain equals no grass, no food for grazing cattle and threatened livelihoods for
Ventura County cattle ranchers. The formula is simple, but the reality is
increasingly grim for Ventura County cattle ranchers as the lack of rain is
forcing them to make tough decisions and act quickly to sustain their
livelihood….“It’s epic,” said Tom Crocker, president of the Ventura County
Cattlemen’s Association, and “unprecedented” in its effect on the county’s 110
cattle ranchers…Cattle herds are down at least 40 percent countywide, Crocker
said. At least two ranchers have sold all their cattle, and several, including
him, have sold 40 percent to 50 percent, he added.
Trader
Joe's urged to drop meat from animals raised with antibiotics [Los Angeles
Times]
The
opening of the first Trader Joe’s store in Boise, Idaho, has become the latest
front in a campaign to get the Monrovia company to stop selling meat from
animals raised with antibiotics. Consumers Union, which publishes Consumers
Report magazine, took out a full page advertisement in the Idaho Statesman on
Monday to warn about growing antibiotic resistance from industrial farming and
urge consumers to demand Trader Joe’s sell only antibiotic-free meat….Trader
Joe's said it offers a variety of meat, including those raised without
antibiotics. It continues to sell meat where antibiotics was likely used
because it remains in demand.
Limits
sought on weed killer glyphosate to help monarch butterflies [Los Angeles
Times]
With
monarch butterfly populations rapidly dwindling, a conservation organization on
Monday asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement tougher
rules for the weed killer glyphosate — first marketed under the brand name
Roundup — to save America’s most beloved insect from further decline. In a
petition, the Natural Resources Defense Council argued that current uses of
glyphosate are wiping out milkweed, the only plant upon which monarch
caterpillars feed. The loss of milkweed is having a devastating effect on the
life cycles of the large, fragile orange-and-black butterflies, which migrate
through the United States, Canada and Mexico….Since federal glyphosate rules
were last updated a decade ago, its use has spiked tenfold to 182 million
pounds a year, largely due to the introduction and popularity of corn and
soybeans genetically modified to resist the herbicide, the petition says.
Ag
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