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NASA Satellite Analysis Shows Vast Area of Cropland Not Planted in California’s Central Valley, Summer 2014

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EIRNS—NASA remote sensing analysis shows that a huge area, totalling 1.7 million acres, was not planted in California’s Central Valley in Summer, 2014, in results published in a new report, "Public Update for Drought Response," issued by California state agencies in November, 2014, pursuant to the April 2014 declaration of a continued state of emergency. Lack of water is the predominant factor. State authorities and farm organizations had a much lower ball-park estimate, of 400,000 to 900,000 acres going fallow, which was bad enough. But the more refined satellite data shows a far worse hit to the food supply and economic base of this intensive agriculture region.

NASA led the study, the third year in its new five-year program to use satellite imagery to estimate vegetative status. The results show that as of July 27, 2014, there were 1,706,038 acres idled. This is about 20 percent of the total irrigated area
of nine million acres throughout the state, but concentrated in the Central and Imperial Valleys. This area ranks among the world’s most high-yield cropland.

The new report states, "The analysis demonstrates the impacts of dry conditions by comparing results from 2011 [a dry Summer] and 2014. For 2011, just more than one million acres were idle during the peak Summer growing period. In contrast, 2014 early-season idled acreage was high due to lack of precipitation and to growers saving available irrigation supplies for Summer crops and permanent plantings."