With snowpack running well below normal in many basins in the Western U.S., expected and much-needed runoff is limited, reducing the water available for irrigation and rangeland. Reduced water allocations for irrigated farmland, tighter forage supplies and elevated drought risk all increase the likelihood of difficult production decisions in the months ahead.
Western agriculture plays a central role in U.S. food production, spanning both high-value specialty crops and key livestock and field crop systems. Across 12 Western states, the region accounts for the majority of U.S. fruit, vegetable and tree nut production by value — typically over 70% overall and more than 90% for many individual commodities. At the same time, the region supports a significant share of U.S. cattle and calf inventories, dairy production, wheat and hay output.
Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said snowpack is like a “water savings account” in the Western U.S…
He said when water supply is tight, farmers have to make difficult real-time decisions…
Munch points out that the Western U.S. impacts the farm economy all across the country…
