California arid farmers abandoned cotton

The United States, an important granary in California, has been in a drought for three consecutive years. Climate experts predict that the California drought will continue in the future. To save water, California farmers have changed their crops.

To save water and increase the economic value of agricultural products, many California farmers began to grow corn, wheat and cotton to grow almonds, pistachios and wine grapes.

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, California's cotton planting area decreased by 34% in 2013, and wheat decreased by 53%. California's farmers have abandoned traditional crops such as cotton and corn, as water costs continue to soar.

California's irrigation technology makes it the nation's largest dairy producer. Its fruit, vegetables, and nuts also account for more than half of total US production. If California is singled out as a country, it will be the ninth largest agricultural producer in the world.

Dan Sumner, professor of agricultural economics at the University of California at Davis, said that modern irrigation systems have contributed to the success of California's agriculture, but the California drought will have a huge impact on the global agricultural market. It may bring structural changes to the entire industry.

According to the US Drought Monitor, California's agricultural water accounts for four-fifths of California's total water use, including environmental protection, and farmers must pay 10 times more water than before the drought to obtain water.

California farmers responded to drought by installing high-tech irrigation systems, using treated livelihood wastewater to irrigate, and using processed pomegranate recycling waste to feed dairy cows.

According to the statistics of the University of California, Davis, in July, it is highly probable that California will still be in drought in 2015. Drought will cause California to lose more than US$1.5 billion in agriculture and reduce 17,100 jobs in California.