SB 656: Food and agriculture: production forecasts.

(a)The Department of Food and Agriculture shall supply the Department of Water Resources with a forecast that estimates the amount of production of food, fiber, livestock, and other farm products.

(b)As part of the forecast, the Department of Food and Agricultures assumptions shall be based upon 20-year estimates that include, but are not limited to, the following data:

(1)Land use conversion rates and the amount of land that is available for agricultural production.

(2)The growing need for food, fiber, livestock and other farm products as the states and the nations populations grow.

(3)Implementation of irrigation technology and other on-farm water conservation measures.

(4)Advances in crop yields and production techniques.

(5)Alternate uses of crops.

(c)The department Department of Food and Agriculture shall include an additional table in the forecast that estimates the agricultural water needs based upon food security considerations that include, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1)Population growth estimates.

(2)Production of farm products sufficient to feed the states population, as well as continue to provide at least 25 percent of the nations table food.

(3)Production necessary to meet the growth in export markets.

(d)To the extent feasible, the Department of Food and Agriculture may cooperate with the Department of Finance, the University of California, and other institutions and organizations in obtaining information for the forecasts.

(e)The Department of Food and Agriculture shall furnish the forecast to the Department of Water Resources for estimating related water usage, as well as to the Chairs of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources. The Department of Water Resources shall include this information in Bulletin 160.