U.S. Interior Secretary visits California to discuss ongoing drought

California Fresh Fruit Association’s (CFFA) Ex-Chairman, Kevin Herman of The Specialty Crop Company met with United States Interior Secretary Deb Haaland at his ranch to discuss the effects of California’s ongoing drought and the need for additional water infrastructure investments. 

“We are happy to welcome Secretary Haaland to our ranch. It is pretty simple; California is running out of water. Climate change, drought and millions of people moving here over the past several decades have all had an impact on our water supply. More storage is the quickest and easiest solution to address this problem,” Herman stated.

He added: “The agriculture industry is doing its part by utilizing a variety of tools like drip irrigation, deficit irrigation, and groundwater recharge. Along with CFFA, we look forward to working  with Secretary Haaland and the Department of Interior to find solutions to protect California’s water supply.”  

Secretary Haaland’s visit was hosted by Congressman Jim Costa, and they were joined by California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, and U.S. Bureau of  Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton.  

CFFA President Ian LeMay commented: “We appreciate the time Secretary Haaland has taken to visit California and, specifically, to meet with CFFA members to hear first-hand about the effects of the drought on agriculture.

“Every person in our state, nation and world relies on agriculture, and we value when our state and nation’s  leaders take the time to get boots on the ground to learn about the impacts of drought on our industry. Lastly, I thank Congressman Costa for facilitating this visit and for his continued advocacy and partnership,” he said. 

The meeting concluded with a roundtable discussion with additional stakeholders, farmers, and industry representatives. CFFA looks forward to working with Secretary Haaland on addressing California’s ongoing drought.