Megadrought forcing farmers to abandon fields

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Farmers in California's San Joaquin Valley are struggling with the megadrought. It is the most productive agricultural region globally, where farms grow 250 different crops on 17% of the nation's irrigated land.

"It is severe in the San Joaquin Valley," said Professor Daniel Sumner, an agricultural economist at UC Davis.

California regulators cut farmers' water allotments by a third due to low reservoir levels.

"Our water supply has gotten even more limited. It's become less reliable and less predictable," said Joe Del Bosque, owner of Del Bosque Farms.

Del Bosque owns and runs a 2,000-acre farm in the San Joaquin Valley. He grows almonds, melons, and asparagus. Del Bosque grew up in the region, working on farms with his parents.

The drought has forced him to change what he grows and how he operates his farm.

"We've always known that a lack of water is a potential hardship for our farm. But to get to the point where it completely stops the farm — we never thought that would happen," said Del Bosque.

California's water distribution is a complicated two-pillar system that ranks water rights seniority and public importance. The large canals are running along with farms in the Valley move water from northern parts of the state to the south. The water is already allotted, and very little of it is for the farms.

Most of the fruits and vegetables eaten in the United States are grown in the region. The farms produced 80% of the world's almonds. The water cutbacks impact the farms' output, and farmers say it will be reflected in the grocery stores.

"As our food supply shrinks, their food prices are going to increase," said Del Bosque.

Last Edited by inna on 10/20/2021 02:54 AM