Attention shoppers: fruit and vegetable prices are rising [Wall Street Journal]
The
cost of fresh produce is poised to jump in the coming months as a three-year
drought in California shows few signs of abating, according to an Arizona State
University study set to be released Wednesday. The study found a head of
lettuce could increase in price as much as 62 cents to $2.44; avocado prices
could rise 35 cents to $1.60 each; and tomatoes could cost 45 cents more at
$2.84 per pound….The latest projections were compiled by Timothy Richards, an
agribusiness professor at ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business. He studied the
drought’s effect on farmland and consumer purchasing trends to determine the
eight fresh fruits and vegetables likely to see the largest price increases
this spring and summer. And the price increases may already be happening.
Grocery prices rose by 0.5% for the second-straight month in March, according
to the Labor Department’s consumer-price index, released Tuesday.
UC
President Napolitano tours Valley to see drought's impact [Fresno Bee]
On
her way to visit the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in
Parlier on Monday, University of California President Janet Napolitano got a
bird's eye view of California cropland and rivers dry from the drought -- a
sight she hopes the universities can help fix through continued research and
outreach. Flying from Oakland to first see the Sacramento River and then the
San Joaquin River, Napolitano did an aerial tour of California's heartland
before making a stop to meet with her top agricultural advisers about a food
security and sustainability initiative she's due to unveil this spring….Ryan
Jacobsen, Fresno County Farm Bureau executive director, said growers'
relationship with the UC's extension field offices has historically played a
big role in the success of the Valley's agricultural economy.
Editorial: Our View: More
water flowing to West Side, but more frustration, too [Modesto Bee]
Growers
on the west side of the Valley got a little good news late last week: They’re
going to get more water than they had feared. That’s not to say they’re going
to get all the water they need, far from it. But the specter of drought is
lifting ever so slightly….Unfortunately, good news on the West Side isn’t
necessarily good news in Fresno and points south….CCID is one of four
irrigation districts known as Exchange Contractors, districts with historic
rights to the San Joaquin River….White and Chedester, who take no joy in
denying south valley growers water, are frustrated with how the state and
federal governments are managing water. They point out that in 1977 – the worst
drought of the past 75 years – there was less water in the reservoirs but more
water delivered to the state’s farmers….“They’re going to kill ag this year on
a hedge for next year,” Chedester said. “That’s fundamentally wrong.
Oyster
farm appeals to U.S. Supreme Court [Associated Press]
As
promised, a Marin County oyster farm appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court Monday
to allow to it to continue operating at Point Reyes National Seashore. The
Drakes Bay Oyster Co. claims in its petition to the high court that its case is
a "dispute between modern environmentalists and wilderness
extremists." "Petitioner Drakes Bay Oyster Co. is supported by modern
environmentalists who believe that people can, through sustainable agriculture,
develop a close and symbiotic relationship with the environment," the
farm's lawyers wrote in its appeal….The oyster farm and owner Kevin Lunny are
appealing a federal appeals court ruling that refused to block a 2012 decision
in which former Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar declined to grant the
company a lease extension.
Officials
to meet in Ventura to decide whether gray wolf gets state protection [Ventura
County Star]
A
lone gray wolf crossed into Northern California from Oregon two years ago,
becoming the first of its kind in the state in decades. Since then, the wolf,
known as OR7, has come and gone, staying mostly in southern Oregon. But even
his somewhat brief appearances have sparked debate among those who would
welcome a comeback and those who would be less than thrilled with one. On
Wednesday, the debate will come to Ventura, when the state Fish and Game
Commission is asked to decide whether to list the gray wolf as a threatened or
endangered species….To some, the wolves represent a charismatic symbol of
wilderness, a social critter that lives with a pack and shares some traits with
a domesticated dog. Others see the wolf as a predator, dangerous to livestock
and the bottom line, a villain from childhood fairy tales.
Symposium
in Chico strives to keep ag jobs strong in Northern California economy [Chico
Enterprise-Record]
Problems
of drought, water supply and an aging generation of farmers means agriculture
as we know needs a jump-start. About 80 people gathered at Sierra Nevada
brewery's Big Room Monday to talk through possible solutions….Greg O'Sullivan
works for the University of California Chancellor's Office, specializing in
education for agriculture, water and environmental technology. The average age
of farmers in the United States is 58, he said, and the same is true for pest
control advisers….This means more young workers are needed to provide food for
a growing global population…."Over the next five years graduating students
will have many opportunities," said Kari Dodd, of the Tehama County Farm
Bureau.
Ag
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