Wildfire update from the California Farm Bureau Federation

» Posted 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, 2007 «

Homeowners, farmers, ranchers and nursery operators in parts of the fire-damaged areas have begun returning to areas that had been evacuated. As they do, we will learn more about the impact of the wildfires on Southern California agriculture.

Among today's developments:

• The California Avocado Commission reiterated its estimate that the strong winds and wildfires may have damaged 10 percent of the total crop. The commission characterized as incorrect early reports from other sources, that led to much larger damage estimates. The commission said it had originally expected a 365 million-pound California avocado crop, meaning that at least 36 million pounds of fruit have been lost because of the fires and windstorms.
• The impact on nursery-crop production remains unclear. A University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor who surveyed parts of San Diego County today said she saw at least one nursery with significant damage, and that one large grower of cut greens lost at least half of its production to fire. But she says it will be several days before nursery owners can evaluate their losses and she cautions that “the rumors may be more rampant than the facts.” She says damage may be most severe among small-scale, two-or-three-acre nurseries and greenhouse operations in inland parts of the county. Even nurseries that escaped fire damage had problems sending plants to market because of road closures.
• With farmers and their employees under evacuation notices, many crops went without irrigation water for several days. Some farmers in the fire area who grow berries, melons, broccoli and other crops returned to find their produce withered as a result of the hot, dry weather.
• The wildfires will push up demand for an already-short hay supply. Many pastures and rangelands were already in poor condition from months of dry weather, and now pastures in the fire area have burned. Ranchers who can't find grazing lands for their animals may try to supplement their feed with hay. There's also demand for hay from fairgrounds and other locations housing horses evacuated during the fires. Farmers say hay supplies are already critically low, with storage in barns down to about one-third of typical levels statewide.
• The firefighting effort, combined with dry weather and dry winds, led to a dramatic spike in demand for water in Southern California. Water supplies have already been reduced because of dry weather, court rulings and other factors. Some Southern California farmers face 30-percent cuts in irrigation water supplies on Jan. 1. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California says the recent spike in water demand won't lead to further reductions. But it says the added demand now means it will not have as much water in storage for the coming year.
• Erosion will be a concern on fire-damaged land. The state Department of Water Resources says it will work with other agencies in the aftermath of the fires, taking precautionary measures to reduce the potential for runoff and erosion, before the rainy season arrives.

The California Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest farm organization, works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 92,000 members.

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

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