CDFA ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE NEW WATER EFFICIENCY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

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SACRAMENTO, October 1, 2021 - The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA)
Office of Environmental Farming andInnovation (OEFI) is accepting public comments on the draft Request for Applications for a new program, the Water Efficiency Technical Assistance (WETA) program.
 
The Budget Act of 2021 allocated $5 million to CDFA to support water efficiency technical assistance to California farmers. Resource Conservation Districts, non-profit organizations, universities, and California and federally recognized Tribes will be eligible to receive funding to provide the technical assistance. Supported activities will include providing one-on-one, on-site pump and irrigation system evaluations and providing training regarding water efficiency and nutrient management.
 
“The technical assistance offered through this new program is coming at a critical time as California farmers are facing severe drought,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Fortunately, agricultural partner organizations have the expertise to help farmers strengthen the drought resiliency and water efficiency of their farms. We are pleased to offer funding to support technical assistance and look forward to the feedback of stakeholders as we develop this important program.”
 

Stakeholders are encouraged to review the Draft Request for Applications for the Water Efficiency Technical Assistance Program and estimated program timeline on the Technical Assistance website  and submit comments by October 15, 2021, 5 PM PT to cdfa.oefi@cdfa.ca.gov. 

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