{"id":24258,"date":"2026-04-27T11:55:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T18:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calclimateag.org\/?p=24258"},"modified":"2026-04-27T12:03:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T19:03:14","slug":"new-bill-aims-to-support-ca-farmers-facing-fertilizer-and-water-shortages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calclimateag.org\/es\/new-bill-aims-to-support-ca-farmers-facing-fertilizer-and-water-shortages\/","title":{"rendered":"New Bill Aims to Support CA Farmers Facing Fertilizer and Water Shortages\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, farmers and ranchers in the state have been facing rising costs of inputs. Now, as a consequence of the war in Iran, prices for urea and ammonia fertilizers, both of which are produced from fossil gas, have increased by roughly 50% and 30%<\/a>, respectively. Diesel prices have also increased 50%. At the same time, farmers in California just experienced a record-shattering March heat wave<\/a> and are staring down the second-worst snowpack on record<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new bill in the California legislature, Assembly Bill 2184<\/a>, led by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, aims to address this looming farm and food affordability crisis by allocating $150 million annually to support farmers in adopting multi-benefit practices, such as healthy soils, irrigation efficiency, and alternative manure management practices, that reduce reliance on costly fossil-fuel-based inputs and increase economic and climate resilience. The bill would also allocate $250 million annually to support land stewards across the state in restoring healthy watersheds and ecosystems, which are critical to our state\u2019s water supply and resilience to droughts, floods, and wildfires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AB 2184 is co-sponsored by CalCAN, The Climate Center<\/a>, y River Partners<\/a>, and is supported by a growing coalition<\/a> of over 40 agricultural, climate, and conservation organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fertilizer prices are already unaffordable and likely to remain so through 2027<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

An overwhelming majority (70%) of U.S. farmers now say they cannot afford to purchase enough fertilizer to get them through the year<\/strong>, according to a nationwide survey<\/a> conducted between April 3-11 by the American Farm Bureau Federation. As a result, farmers are reducing fertilizer applications or reducing their acreage planted. To make matters worse, experts now predict that fertilizer prices are likely to stay elevated through 2027<\/a>, even if the Strait of Hormuz were to fully reopen by July in a \u201cquick reopening\u201d scenario as seen in the chart below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Urea Projected Scenario Prices Remain Elevated Through the Fall Prepay Window in All Scenarios<\/h5>\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Source: NDSU<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Climate change is already adding additional cost pressures in California<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On top of these price shocks, climate change is now regularly causing billion dollar droughts<\/a> in the California ag economy. This year\u2019s combination of a \u201csnow drought\u201d and record March heatwave have led to the second lowest snowpack on record<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some family farmers in California, these conditions may be their breaking point. California lost an average of 1,500 farms<\/a> per year between 2017-2022, according to the USDA Census of Agriculture, a trend that is likely to worsen as a result of ongoing trade wars, literal wars, and climate shocks. The comparisons to the 1980s farm crisis<\/a>, which saw 330,000 families leave their farms nationwide, are growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consumers will soon feel the price shocks too unless urgent action is taken<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Consumers will also soon bear the burden of these impacts, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization\u2019s Chief Economist<\/a>, as the combination of higher input costs, reduced yields, and reduced acres planted inevitably put upward pressure on food prices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The state of California, which produces half of the nation\u2019s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts<\/a>, has a fundamental responsibility to ensure the economic viability of its rural, agricultural communities and the food security of the state and nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To meet that responsibility in this moment, the state legislature must play a more active role in supporting farmers and ranchers in adopting multi-benefit solutions that address the root causes of these problems \u2013 solutions that reduce our heavy reliance on costly fossil-fuel based inputs, increase our resilience to droughts and other climate shocks, and cost-effectively reduce the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multi-Benefit Solutions Key to Response<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

California has existing programs to address root causes and improve resilience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

California has established a suite of programs<\/a> to advance these solutions, including the Programa alternativo de gesti\u00f3n del esti\u00e9rcol<\/a>, El Programa de suelos sanos<\/a>, y el State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program<\/a>. These programs: <\/p>\n\n\n\n