Posted on 02/09/2014 12:05:15 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Much like the polar vortex spiked demand and prices for natural gas in the eastern U.S., another weather phenomenon — a severe drought — is threatening cattle and milk production and food crops in the West.
It’s a threat that can last for months and year, and parched conditions have already driven up prices on milk and cattle futures.
“The hardest hit section of California is the Central Valley — ‘the supermarket to the world’ — and [it’s becoming] increasingly clear the region won’t see relief from the devastating drought anytime soon,” said Kevin Kerr, editor of CommodityConfidential.com. “Retail prices for many key agricultural commodities could jump.”
That means consumers may see higher prices for everything from beef and milk to wheat, nuts and vegetables, and it’ll take time for supplies to replenish.
Drought conditions cover more than 37% of the 48 contiguous states, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor . MDA Weather Services said about 67% of California alone is currently experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions.
The state’s Gov. Edmund “Jerry” Brown, Jr. declared a drought State of Emergency on Jan. 17, calling on California’s residents to voluntarily cut water consumption by 20%.
The state is “already taking steps to limit water usage, so it is likely that irrigation supplies will be limited as well,” said Kyle Tapley, senior agricultural meteorologist of weather services at MDA Information Systems LLC....
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
Exactly.
Yep, only a 01.5% percent inflation last year, according to the Social Security Administration.
That’s right—CA agriculture has been having federal taxpayers subsidize their labor for years.
Spread it out a little more through the country and let more college kids, for example, be paid just for the seasonal work that’s needed.
Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s stop with the farce that has seasonal workers getting unemployment insurance once a particular season’s work is over!
Ain’t my state,,
Been all over California and love most parts of it but I have to say don’t pat yourself on the back too hard. What can’t be grown there can be grown in other states. I would go as far as to say the most heavily consumed products in California are not even grown there or not at the level to supply the state. I like my beef, wheat and corn, if I need vitamin C I’ll eat a jalapeno. Take all the land thats sitting in CRP programs and put it back to work and we would be drowning in food products. Theres nothing growing in California that I need to survive.
People should study what their own states do produce. I think they might be surprised.
My state is known for growing tart cherries (some 70% of the cherries produced for canning in the USA). We’re the biggest producer of potatoes for potato chips. We have some 38,000 acres growing apples. We’re one of the top producers of carrots. We used to be a big producer of leafy greens that did well in the cooler wet climate.
When I was a kid we went on vacation up to Oregon, I spent a week with the other kids up there picking strawberry’s and cherry’s. I still can’t eat a cherry after that, we were eating them right off the tree.
At least there’s no general inflation causing prices to rise....oh, wait.
Self-imposed drought. The snail darter fishy is more important than the people and water for the people and crops...Kalifornia!
The way to solve this problem is for a conservative president to create a *federal* desalination plant in central California, something the Californians have refused to do for environmental reasons.
Powered by natural gas, it would then pipeline in huge amounts of fresh water to the Central Valley, with diversion to southern California if there was adequate water in the CV.
“Most of the rest of the country fails to understand that California’s wealth isn’t in the Silicon Valley, but rather in the Central Valley farming by a huge margin. that is the richest, most productive land in the entire country, but it takes water to function, unlike the dry farming done in most of the rest of the country.”
And now we look at the fragile thread you hang by. Sorry but I’ll say it again “don’t pat yourself on the back too hard”. Theres nothing you grow in California that can’t be grown in other area’s of the US.
“Just so it doesn’t cut into the corn ethanol yields.”
I hope it totally wipes them out!!!!
Obviously some of this drought is self-inflicted, while other parts are an act of God.
I would really like to see some discussion of how this splits out quantifiably.
Do you have a link?
I live in Fresno County. I don’t mind the plantings along the freeways, and the vegetation seems to be chosen to need less water. But almost every road within Fresno has trees/plantings in the meridian that need water and upkeep. Looks great BUT I think is a waste of water and manpower.
I posted this pic a couple years ago of the Pedernales River. Those are "floating" boathouses on dry land. Those people still have to pay triple or more in property taxes for waterfront property whether there is water or not. The people have private (not public) water wells so have to haul in water. Same as in CA, crops weren't growing and livestock had to be sold off but, hey, the almighty rice farmers who have lobbyists come first!
There is water wasted all across the country. Take Las Vegas that is trying to turn a dry desert into green golf courses and lush lawns.
Wow—great example!
I've tasted wine made from grapes grown in states other than California, Oregon and Washington....
No thanks....
A 5 lb tube of 73% ground beef was $14.98 last weekend. Three years ago a 10 lb tube was $13. My paycheck hasn’t increased at that rate. Snort, my paycheck is less than it was.
Say what? I just called HEB and their 93% is $4.68. Our Texas prices are more than P.O.E.'s in PA.
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