US: California farmers are signing up in droves to get paid to give up their water rights for 2 months because their summer crop prices are so low

The Imperial Irrigation District — the biggest user of water from the 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river — has offered to pay farmers to shut off irrigation to forage crops including alfalfa for up to 60 days during the peak of the sweltering summer. While farmers often balk at the idea of letting fields lie fallow, at least 80% of properties eligible for the new program have been signed up to participate, said Tina Shields, the district’s water department manager. “We don’t like to do fallowing down here,” Shields said. “They’re making business decisions.” The move comes as farmers of alfalfa and other crops that feed cattle have seen the price of hay plummet amid rising supply. For many, that means a summer crop of alfalfa could bring in less in revenue than the $300 in federal funding per acre-foot of water that the water district is willing to fork over if they simply stop watering it, experts said. From California to Arkansas, farmers have reported a stellar year for hay and ...