California Water Rates and USDA Specialty Crop Spending

**To meet budgetary shortfalls for water rights and water quality programs, required for farmers and ranchers, the California Water Resources Control Board has approved rate increases, including for groundwater recharge projects.

The higher fees come as California water users and local agencies work to balance critically overdrawn aquifers.

California Farm Bureau’s Alexadra Biering says the concerned is if fees are too high, it would disincentivize the intended recharging of high-flow diversion permits.

**The USDA has awarded more than $25 million to support eight projects under the new Assisting Specialty Crop Imports Initiative.

The initiative was launched in January as part of USDA’s commitment to create more and better markets for U.S. producers.

USDA Undersecretary, Alexis Taylor says this innovative partnership focuses on projects to address the non-tariff trade barriers hindering America’s exports of fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, and other specialty crops.

**With the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire at the end of next year, a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association survey hopes to show how provisions like Death Tax relief and business deductions impact family-owned cattle operations.

The survey shows strong support for the 1031 Exchange, Section 179 Expensing, bonus depreciation, and the Small Business Deduction.

The survey also shows a quarter spend more than $10,000 a year on tax preparation, filing, and audits.