Water Resources in California & Inflation’s Impact on Organic Produce

**After a series of winter storms boosted California’s reservoirs and snowpack, state and federal officials are pledging full water deliveries for farmers in two key water projects.

The California Department of Water Resources expects to deliver 100% of requested water supplies from the State Water Project, up from the 75% allocation announced in March.

And, the Bureau of Reclamation says ag and water service contractors will receive 100% of their requested supplies from the Central Valley Project, up from 80% in March.

**USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released its new five-year strategic plan.

The plan includes six strategic goals, focused on protecting agriculture from plant and animal diseases and pests, better meeting current and future challenges, and reducing the impacts of diseases.

It also looks at ecosystem changes, climate change, expanding safe trade, managing wildlife diseases, and promoting animal welfare.

**Inflation continued to impact organic fresh produce sales in the first quarter.

Overall dollar sales grew by slightly less than 1%, and volume declined by 3.4% from the same period last year.

Conventional produce dollars rose higher than organic dollars by about 2% and declined in volume by a lesser degree than organic.

Current trends show both conventional and organic produce volume shrinking year over year, but both are consistently gaining in dollars.