State cuts off water to thousands of farms, water agencies amid drought msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A megadrought in California is expected to lead to water shortages for production of everything from avocados to almonds, and could cause prices to rise gkay@businessinsider.com (Grace Kay)
California is facing its worst drought in four years.
As water levels continue to fall, farmers have left large portions of their fields unseeded.
The state s $50 billion agriculture industry supplies over 25% of the nation s food.
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The state is already facing its worst water shortage in four years and the its driest season has only just begun, according to data from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).
As water levels continue to fall, farmers and ranchers will be unable to maintain key crops and feed livestock. As of Tuesday, nearly 75% of California was classified as in extreme drought, meaning the land does not have adequate water supplies to sustain agriculture and wildlife, according to the NIDIS.
Jun 15, 2021 to Jun 17, 2021
The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will be discussing recent drought actions and hear about proposed programs to assist farmers and ranchers at its meeting next week.
The board will hear from state officials and agricultural stakeholders on drought response as well as proposed funding to further sustainable agriculture as part of the Governor’s proposed $100 billion California Comeback Plan.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. via GoToWebinar.
“The Governor has proposed a $5.1 billion comprehensive drought and water infrastructure package, ” said state Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. “This funding will improve our state’s overall water resilience, invest in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and provide for multi-benefit land repurposing among a number of other investments.