Thursday May 30, 2024
Olive Oil Times —
It is difficult to overstate how important California is to United States agriculture.
According to the 2023 Feeding the Economy report, nearly 13 percent – $1.1 trillion (€1.0 trillion) – of the United States’ agricultural output comes from California.
The Golden State is the largest agricultural producer in the U.S. by a wide margin. Texas and New York, second and third, combine to produce as much agricultural output as California.
The state is also responsible for virtually all U.S. olive oil production, with the California Olive Oil Council, a trade association, estimating that the Golden State produces between two and four million gallons (7.5 to 15 million liters) each year.
As a result, water is top of mind for many farmers, including the state’s olive growers, and an increasing point of tension between rural and urban Californians, especially after years of intense drought.