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Farmer's comments about water supplies in the Sacramento Valley
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» March 25, 2008 «

Sacramento Valley farmers must rely more on well water

Water tables are dropping in the Sacramento Valley as farmers respond to cutbacks in supplies from federal reservoirs. Agricultural contractors in the Central Valley Project have seen allotments cut to 45 percent of contract amounts. CVP farm customers in the Sacramento Valley sometimes avoid cuts imposed in the San Joaquin Valley, but not this year. Farmers have been substituting well water, and drillers are busy sinking new wells as farmers seek additional supplies.

Rice acreage may drop this year

Reduced water allocations will be one factor affecting California rice acreage. The California Rice Commission says farmers have started preparing fields for this year's crop. Planting will start in mid-April and continue into May. The Rice Commission says it may see some acreage reduction, despite strong prices for rice. It cites high prices for other grains and reduced water supplies as the main factors in the possible acreage cuts.

Mexico eases LBAM restrictions

Mexico has relaxed, at least partially, new restrictions on crops grown in California counties that are quarantined due to the light brown apple moth. The state Department of Food and Agriculture announced yesterday (Monday) that Mexico will reduce a trapping rule that could have resulted in a virtual shutdown of exports from quarantined counties. Mexico continues to require exports from those counties to meet rules designed to prevent the moth from spreading.

Kiwifruit shipments enter season's last week

We've entered the final week of the shipping season for California-grown kiwifruit. The California Kiwifruit Commission says the coolers storing fruit from the previous harvest will be virtually empty by next Monday. It says adequate chilling hours during the winter set the stage for a promising 2008 crop. Until that harvest begins, most kiwifruit in supermarkets will be imported from farms in the Southern Hemisphere.