The California drought is hurting everyone from growers to shippers – and produce truckers – to the consumer, who ultimately is paying more for their food.
Groundwater supplies pumped from wells will make up most of the shortfall in agricultural water caused by the California drought.
A new study says the drought will still result in $810 million in lost crop revenues this year. The study, “Economic Analysis of the 2014 Drought for California Agriculture,” published by the University of California at Davis Center for Watershed Schiences, the study estimated the total statewide economic costs of the drought at $2.2 billion, including the loss of 17,100 seasonal and part time jobs.
Crop values of the state’s fruit and nut trees will decline by $277 million because of the drought, while losses to vegetables and non-tree fruit are estimated at $47 million in 2014.. The drought is expected to decrease cropland in California by 428,000 acres in 2014. Of that total, fruit and nut trees account for 41,000 acres of the total reduction, with vegetables and non tree fruit representing 10,000 acres of idled ground.
The surface water reduction caused by the drought, according to the report, is estimated at 6.6 million acre-feet. The increase in groundwater pumping of water was estimated 5.1 million acre-feet, leaving the net water shortage of 1.6 million acre-feet. Besides crop revenue losses of $810 million, other costs include additional water pumping expenses of $454 million and $203 million in livestock and dairy revenue loss. That totals $1.5 billion in direct costs.