CDFA AWARDS $5 MILLION FOR THE WATER EFFICIENCY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

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SACRAMENTO, April 5, 2022 – CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) has selected 11 organizations to receive $5 million in funding through a new competitive grant program, the Water Efficiency Technical Assistance (WETA) program. WETA was developed in response to the Budget Act of 2021, which allocated funding to support technical assistance for water efficiency and nutrient management for California farmers and ranchers. 

CDFA accepted applications for WETA from late November 2021 through February 3, 2022. Resource Conservation Districts, non-profit organizations, the University of California and California State University systems, California community colleges, and California and federally recognized Tribes were eligible to apply for up to $500,000 to provide technical assistance. Supported activities include providing on-farm pump and irrigation system evaluations and recommendations, providing pump efficiency testing, and delivering training in irrigation efficiency and nutrient management.

“Many of these organizations are already essential resources in serving California growers with their on farm-irrigation use efficiency projects,” said CDFA secretary Karen Ross. “This program will expand the reach of these organizations at a time when water use efficiency and nutrient management are so important to agricultural resilience.”

To find out more about WETA and to review a list of the awarded organizations please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/technical/weta.html

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