SECRETARY KAWAMURA COMMENTS ON PACIFIC INSTITUTE WATER REPORT

SACRAMENTO – In response to today’s Pacific Institute report on water conservation, Secretary A.G. Kawamura of the California Department of Food and Agriculture issued the following statement:

“Our current water crisis impacts everyone and California’s rural and agricultural communities are some of the first to feel the impacts of drought and water shortages.”
 
“Conservation and water use efficiency are critical to addressing our water challenges and agriculture is doing its part.  Over the last four decades, the amount of water used on California farms has remained relatively level while crop production has increased more than 85 percent in the same time period. In fact, California farms use water not just once but as many as eight times on crops.”
 
“California is the nation’s number one agricultural supplier and agricultural water use results in a host of positive effects. This includes providing healthy eating choices for California consumers, thousands of jobs, millions of dollars in activity for our economy, groundwater recharge and species habitat for our environment.”