Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) toured the Superior Almond Hulling facility in Cantua Creek this week to highlight California’s strong agricultural sector following President Joe Biden’s signing of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
“We wanted to bring him here during harvest so that he could see some of the successes we've had as a result of our partnership and our work together, but also some of the things we need to continue to work on,” says Aubrey Bettencort, president and CEO of the Almond Alliance of California.
California grows over a third of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, and produces about 80% of the world’s almonds. In the last 14 seasons, over a billion pounds of almonds have been hulled in this particular facility.
“We're very proud of that number,” says Richard Esparza, the plant manager at Superior Almond Hulling. “There aren't too many plants that exist today that have accomplished that kind of a feat.”
But climate change may greatly affect the way California feeds the nation.
“Without water, we don't have farms,” says Esparza. “All the crops that are grown out here on the west side of the valley, all of them depend on water. We need a solution to our water crisis.”
Along with lowering health care costs, ensuring corporations pay federal taxes and building a clean energy economy, the monumental Inflation Reduction Act dedicates $4 billion toward strengthening California’s water system in the midst of the state’sworst megadrought in over a thousand years. Farmers are hoping to see even more funding for infrastructure.
“The law, in many ways, needs to update itself,” says Bettencourt. “We [need to] operate our system to have the flexibility to take advantage of the major shifts we see in our climate so that we can create certainty in water supply for agriculture, urban and environmental.”
In a press release, Padilla says he’s working to make sure the federal government is prioritizing the state’s agricultural needs.
This story is part of the Central Valley News Collaborative, which is supported by the Central Valley Community Foundation with technology and training support by Microsoft Corp.
