Arizona farmers slammed by water cuts (credit, gated, agriculture)

[hikernut]

Farming in the desert has always been a challenge for Arizona’s farmers, who grow water-intensive crops like cotton, alfalfa and corn for cows. But this year is different. An intensifying drought and declining reservoir levels across the Western U.S. prompted the first-ever cuts to their water supply from the Colorado River.


https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/03/ariz...d-drought.html

[Parnassia]

"...where Pinal County farmers have irrigated crops for thousands of years..."

Permit me to doubt!

[fretful]

Farmers in AZ have always known that in a water shortage they would get cut off or restricted before towns and cities. It is different in most places. Like in CA, the farmers are the last to be cut off or restricted. Arizona food production is a pittance compared to California food production.

[sh9730]

I know Nancy - and while we have vastly differing views about the future of CG - I give her a lot of credit for pushing what she feels is important.

I ve always thought there are solutions out there and available (albeit at a cost) for BOTH cultures to co-exist in AZ.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

"...where Pinal County farmers have irrigated crops for thousands of years..."

Permit me to doubt!

I'm assuming they're referring to the Hohokum, who farmed here over one thousand years ago. Obviously they did not refer to themselves as "Pinal County farmers", if that's what you mean

[Valley Native]

As much as I emphathize with the farmers, we need to face the facts. Agriculture consumes 74% of the water supply, which is the largest user of water in AZ. All the other developments combined don't use as much water as farming does. We're also in a serious drought thanks to the lack of precipitation, excessive amount of sunshine (even for our standards), above normal temperatures, and lack of snowpack. Unless we can somehow change the weather conditions, this is what we're faced with. Obviously, the ones who use the most water and provide the least benefit will have to face the harshest cutbacks. Why anybody didn't see this coming (and take it more seriously) years ago is beyond me.

[wit-nit]

Arabs have accumulated thousands of acres for farming for their benefit utlizing a big percentage of our water.

[Greenvalleyfan]

Go after the farmers but allow Hudbay to start mining the west side of the Santa Ritas and use water and pollute the ground water. Yep, makes sense to me.

[NORTY FLATZ]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

Arabs have accumulated thousands of acres for farming for their benefit utlizing a big percentage of our water.

That must bee one hell of a pipe.

[gemstone1]

Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ

That must bee one hell of a pipe.

Google is your friend Norty. The Saudi's have purchased Colorado River Valley land with associated water rights, they grow 8-9 cuttings of alfalfa (a very water intensive crop) per year, which they send to their country to feed their dairy herds. They transform AZ water and ship it as alfalfa....So yeah, it is a hell of a pipe.