<p> As California Governor Jerry Brown declares a State of Emergency for the state’s drought situation, it seems inevitable that the lack of rainfall may lead to a loss of crops and potential increases in fresh produce prices. However, the effects of the drought could ripple nationwide.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> California produces about one-eighth of the nation’s total farming output, accounting for more than 90% of the U.S. production of artichokes, broccoli, celery, almonds, grapes, walnuts, and other crops, according to MoneyNews. And if these crops can’t be grown, this could trigger food price inflation. Barring any major storms in the next few months, California’s water managers may only be able to provide 5% of the water needed for the nearly 1 million acres of irrigated farmland.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Karen Ross, California Secretary of Food and Agriculture, spoke with PBS to describe the potential impacts the drought could have on California’s future and beyond. “Because so much of our product is in high demand here and around the world, we do have to anticipate that,” says Ross. “And at this point, it’s too early to be able to quantify it in a way that would translate immediately to the grocery store.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Ross says the biggest challenge now is that there’s little surplus water in the system to move around. With that said, Ross suggests, “…there are certain steps that we can take between the Department of Water Resources and State Water Resources Control Board on some of the temporary changes that they can make now, hoping that we will still get a couple of those significant storms that will save us this year.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> For now, it seems that all we can do is sit and wait. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we follow the impacts of the drought in California.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.moneynews.com/michaelcarr/california-drought-fruit-vegetable/2014/01/22/id/548289" target="_new"> MoneyNews </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/nation/jan-june14/drought2_01-22.html" target="_new"> PBS </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
