The purchases totaling about 14,000 acres enable the Saudis to take advantage of farm-friendly U.S. water laws. China is the primary export market for U.S. hay. Supporters note that the company has embraced water-conservation methods that few other farmers have adopted. The additional $25 for non-members covers the VVWU membership fee for the current year. Phoenix Suns filling out roster as NBA free agency begins, 'Felt like my son died all over again': Family speaks out after learning driver that killed 5 was speeding, on TikTok, Family speaks out after learning driver that killed 5 was speeding, on TikTok, Heat waves like the one that's killed 14 in the southern US are becoming more frequent and enduring. Often criticized by environmentalists as a crop that uses an abundance of water while producing little farm-gate revenue, alfalfa is undoubtedly a sound commodity in the here and now. Scattered rows of phosphorescent green rectangles linger nearby, giving the landscape the pixelated look of an Atari. The adjudication process is slowly chugging through the Arizona courts, and many owners of property served by a well or irrigation, may not have the proper registrations needed. Arizona April 22, 2023, at 2:28 p.m. Water Permits for Saudi Arabia-Owned Farm in Arizona Revoked. Wells are recorded by a number that starts with a 55-XXXXXX. But this operation takes desert farming to a whole new level as if the general store was suddenly replaced by a Walmart Supercenter. Arizona is leasing farmland to a Saudi water company, straining aquifers, and threatening future water supply in Phoenix. Were not getting oil for free, so why are we giving our water away for free? she said in an interview with CNBC. Arizonans are right to be outraged that the State of Arizona would allow a Saudi-owned corporation to stick a straw in the ground and suck the water out for free," she said. Newcastle in talks to host Saudi-Mexico friendly - sources - ESPN The company recently broke ground on a plant in Californias Imperial Valley to package hay into ship-ready bales. So there may be business merits to exporting water use., Indeed, the emerging trend of water-investment was teased in the closing frames of the Oscar-winning movie The Big Short, when the real-life fates of the wily financial traders portrayed in the film were spelled out on the screen, American Graffiti-style. The company also acquired a large tract near Vicksburg, Ariz., becoming a powerful economic force in a region that has fewer well-pumping restrictions than other parts of the state. ADVERTISEMENT In Arizona, renewed attention to Fondomontes water use is raising questions about the states lack of regulation around pumping groundwater in rural parts of the state. Amid a backlash, the state legislature is considering a ban on most foreign-owned farms. For some of the countys residents, the very idea of Saudi sheikhs tapping into Arizonas water supply strikes up long-dormant urges to rock the casbah. 26 Jun 2023 19:18:12 Over 30 years ago, the Salt River Project (SRP, a major electricity supplier in Arizona) filed lawsuits asking the courts to determine the water rights for the use of "surface water" in the Gila River System, including the Verde River and its tributaries. Saudi The state of Arizona has rescinded drilling permits for two water wells for a Saudi Arabia-owned alfalfa farm in the western portion of the state By Associated Press Arizona officials We have existing law that we dont think his being followed.. The company does not pay for the water it uses. Thats a good thing., Ruddell does add a caveat. Consequently, county residents are worried the mega-farm may suck up so much of the groundwater, their wells may no longer run deep enough to tap it. And some say its not ecologically reckless at all at least relative to modern industry. Fondomonte, a Saudi company, exports the alfalfa to feed its cows in the Middle East. She told me that many of her constituents living around the Fondomonte farms have had their wells sucked dry by the Saudi-owned farms. It later turned to the Palo Verde Valley, where Southern California settlers staked claim to the Colorado River in 1877, beating Los Angeles and San Diego under a Gold Rush-era doctrine called first in time, first in right that governs the 1,450-mile waterway. And yet it seems like we always have to justify their water use. And Saudi Arabia is running out of water. According to CNBC, Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries have been purchasing land in parts of the drought-stricken Southwest, including Arizona and California. Mexico are planning to play two games in England -- another fixture against South Korea at an English venue to be decided has been pencilled in for Sept. 12 -- with their mini tour due to start with a game against Saudi, who they defeated 2-1 during the group stage of Qatar 2022 last November. All Rights Reserved. While praising the Saudis water management machinery, state official Buschatzke tempers his praise with a knowing assessment of their probable intent. Most of the roughly 20,000 people spread out across La Paz County, where the median age is 54, are old enough to remember the OPEC oil embargo of 1973, when the resource-rich Arab countries and their allies blocked all oil deliveries to the U.S. in response to American aid to Israel during the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict, creating an unprecedented gas shortage and demonstrating, for the first time, the Arab nations formidable economic power. So its turning to an unlikely place to grow the water-chugging crop the drought-stricken American Southwest. AZFamily.com reported that the new wells would have pumped up to 3,000 gallons (11,000 liters) of water per minute. Arizona should not be giving its water away to the Saudi Arabians, or anyone else for that matter. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. WebThe Arizona Department of Water Resources recently reported that a large portion of Arizona is currently facing drought. Saudi Arabias largest dairy company will soon be unable to farm alfalfa in its own parched country to feed its 170,000 cows. Naturally, the land purchase finalized in 2014 has become something of a hot-button issue in La Paz, partly due to the stigma of Arab ownership, and partly due to lax restrictions on water-pumping in this part of the state. Thats right. To comply with the Gift Clause, a government expenditure must (1) serve a public purpose, and (2) the consideration the public has paid must not far exceed the value received. WebA Saudi Arabian company is at the center of a water controversy in Arizona that bubbled to the surface during the 2022 election cycle. In fact, the state rents some land to Fondomonte for $25 an acre. Over the last 18 months, the new owners have poured about $180 million into developing this parcel, for a single purpose: All of the alfalfa grown here is immediately baled into hay and shipped overseas to Saudi Arabia, to feed the huge stable of 157,000 dairy cows owned by a company named Almarai, the largest food producer in the Middle East kingdom. Are water permits for Saudi Arabia owned farm in Arizona revoked? Water Ticketmaster tries to shake it off, Santa Monica-based Headspace meditation app maker lays off 15% of employees, Column: RFK Jr.s town hall showed the folly of trying to fact-check quackery in real time, Unionized hotel workers reach deal with biggest employer on eve of July 4 weekend and planned strike, Dream of going to space? Saudi Arizona The Arizona Republics Rob ODell explains why a Saudi Arabian companys deal for Arizona water raises questions for taxpayers. In effect, the Saudis plan to explore for and produce food overseas the way American and other Western companies explored for oil in the Arabian peninsula.. They may be acting in their own self-interest, he says. When the water is gone, its gone. China-based companies have been doing the same thing for years, lately out of Mohave County. So we should be weighing the benefits of the water use. water 2023 www.azcentral.com. Arizona AG vows to stop Saudi farms freely pumping - Phoenix, More from this show. Last updated: 7/11/2022. PHOENIX In a recent trend, Saudi Arabia hasbeen purchasing farmland in Arizona and California in order to grow and export quality alfalfa hay, a move that has several Arizona officials up in arms over. In addition, it brings long-sought certainty to cities and communities as they plan their growth and development and is a major component of a long-term water plan for Arizona. WebArizona Water Rights -Are your rights protected? It farms extensively in Southern California and Arizona and, according to its website, plans to add 7,500 acres in the United States for alfalfa and other crops. This company is worldwide, Buschatzke says. U.S. farmers themselves export hay and other forage crops to the Middle East mainly to Saudi Arabia. For decades, Saudi Arabia attempted to grow its own water-intensive crops for food rather than rely on farms abroad. Arizona 1025. Without a VVWU, there is not be an organization defending the water rights of property owners in the Verde Valley. Two people were arrested for a State Farm Stadium brawl after Thursday's soccer matches between Qatar and Honduras plus Mexico and Haiti. Saudi Arabian-Owned Food Company Buys Plenty of Californias Scarce Water, Published: 4/15/2019, This patch of western Arizona has always been used for farm land previously, 4,430 acres of the farm had been irrigated to farm cotton and alfalfa, among other crops. As first disclosed in The Arizona Republic last June, the State Land Department has leased state trust land to the Saudi-owned Fondomonte corporation for $25 per acre, so that the Saudi company could grow alfalfa and send it back to Saudi Arabia to feed that countrys cows. Theres hundreds of companies in Arizona that have always been shipping alfalfa and other crops around the globe. Essentially that means the Saudi companies and anyone else who registers a well with the state can pump as much water as needed in the unrestricted counties, providing they can prove beneficial use, a wide legal umbrella that includes farming. DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING, PHOENIX In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. are spending hundreds of millions of dollars and using potentially billions of gallons of water to grow cattle forage in Arizona may seem puzzling, at first. Saudi