[rgmerk]

The thing with rice (grain crops are rarely irrigated) is that while it’s a huge water suck, the nice thing about it is that in a drought you don’t have to plant it, whereas something like fruit trees (which produce a much bigger economic output per unit of water used) require water even during droughts or you lose years worth of future production.

If you have a sensibly designed water market, this aspect of the water management problem goes away as rice doesn’t get planted when the water price is high enough. Farmers will complain mightily (and should be politely ignored or if that fails told exactly where they can stick their complaints).

[jeffbee]

Rice is grown in the wet part of the state, where water is seen as a nuisance anyway. The belief that every part of California is always parched is wrong. It's a large state with multiple climates.

[edge17]

Not listening to farmers is how elections are lost.

Even so, agriculture creates a huge number of jobs in and adjacent to the agriculture industry. You might solve one problem, but you will have a new one too.

[tourmalinetaco]

Boy I tell you what, you ain’t right. Ain’t got no respect for the workin’ man that provides your food. You live and die by the farmer’s hands.