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![]() ![]() "Once you see drought conditions start to improve you'll see these effects further down the road."ĭroughts are nothing new for California farmers, who use conservation practices that reduce water runoff and allow moisture to enter the soil. "It takes time before the effects are seen at the retail level," Kuhns said. They are often felt long after the drought has already wreaked havoc on local farm crops, Annemarie Kuhns, a member of the Agriculture Department's Economic Research Service, told the Des Moines Register in 2015. During the 2014 drought, experts told CNBC prices for top California exports like avocados, berries, broccoli, grapes, and lettuce could rise anywhere from 17 to 62 cents, depending on the product.Īny potential price increases do not occur immediately or all at once. The last time the state faced a drought of this magnitude, experts said shoppers could expect prices to rise about 3% and predicted the Californian agriculture industry could be handicapped for years, Gannett reported. Most of it comes from transportation, packaging, and marketing." ![]() "The payment that farmers receive for their crops is a very small portion of the price shoppers pay. "A lot of factors play into the prices people see at stores," Kranz said. He said he's already seen several farmers scaling back their crops and prioritizing ones that rely less on water supplies. ![]() California agriculture is a nearly $50 billion industry and is known for producing over 400 key commodities, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.ĭave Kranz, a California Farm Bureau spokesperson, told Insider it's too soon to tell whether the drought will have a significant impact on grocery prices, but it is sure to be a "catastrophic" year for farmers. California produces over 25% of the nation's food supply. The farmer's plight could make products like almonds, avocados, and milk more expensive for shoppers as farmers struggle to produce crops of the state's top exports. The reservoirs are 50% lower than they should be in June, Jay Lund, co-director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California-Davis, told Associated Press. Scorching California weather is drying up reservoirs, as well as the Sierra Nevada snowpack that helps supply them. While farmers have come to expect and prepare for droughts, this year has already been much hotter and drier than previous ones. 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. 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).Īs water levels continue to fall, farmers and ranchers will be unable to maintain key crops and feed livestock. It often indicates a user profile.Ī megadrought in California is threatening to push food prices even higher. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]()
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