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U.S. NEWSTuesday 29 March 2016
American Living:
Saudi land purchases fuel debate over US water rights
ELLIOT SPAGAT
AYA BATRAWY
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Saudi
Arabia’s largest dairy com-
pany will soon be unable
to farm alfalfa in its own
parched country to feed
its 170,000 cows. So it’s turn- For decades, Saudi Ara-
ing to an unlikely place to
grow the water-chugging
crop — the drought-strick-
en American Southwest.
Almarai Co. bought land in
January that roughly dou-
bled its holdings in Califor-
nia’s Palo Verde Valley, an
area that enjoys first dibs on
water from the Colorado
River. The company also
acquired a large tract near
Vicksburg, Arizona, becom-
ing a powerful economic
force in a region that has
fewer well-pumping restric-
tions than other parts of the
state.
The purchases totaling
about 14,000 acres enable
the Saudis to take advan-
tage of farm-friendly U.S.
water laws. The acquisitions
have also rekindled debate
over whether a patchwork
of regulations and court rul-
ings in the West favors farm-
ers too heavily, especially
those who grow thirsty,
low-profit crops such as al-
falfa at a time when cities
are urging people to take
shorter showers, skip car
washes and tear out grass
lawns.
“It flies in the face of eco-
nomic reason,” said John
Szczepanski, director of

the U.S. Forage Export country will stop growing Despite the widespread California and one in Wash-
Council. “You’ve taken on green fodder, livestock drought conditions, the U.S. ington state.
all of the risk a farmer has. feed derived from crops is attractive to water-seek- Most of the farms that Arab
The only way you can jus- like alfalfa, over the next ing companies because companies own worldwide
tify that is that they’re really three years. it has strong legal protec- are in developing nations.
not trying to make a profit. Almarai already farms tions for agriculture, even For instance, Qatar’s sover-
They’re trying to secure the worldwide to make sure though the price of land is eign wealth fund has hold-
food supply.” that weather, transporta- higher than in other places. ings in Latin America and
tion problems or other con- “Southern California and Africa.
bia attempted to grow its ditions don’t interrupt sup- Arizona have good water But part of the kingdom’s
rights. Who knows if that will long-term food security
Cars drive by a sign encouraging residents to save water in change, but that’s the way strategy means investing in
Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Purchases totaling about 14,000 things are now,” said Dan- higher-cost countries with
acres by Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy company have rekindled iel Putnam, an agronomist greater political stability,
debate over whether a patchwork of laws and court rulings in at the University of Califor- said John Lawton, owner
the West favors farmers too heavily, especially those who grow nia, Davis. of Agriculture Technology
thirsty, low-profit crops such as alfalfa at a time when cities are Over the last decade, Sau- Co., a farming company in
urging people to take shorter showers, skip car washes and tear di Arabia and the United Saudi Arabia.
out grass lawns. Arab Emirates emerged In 2014, Almarai paid $47.5
as significant buyers of million for more than 9,800
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson) American hay as their gov- acres in La Paz County, Ari-
ernments moved to curb zona, a sparsely populated
own water-intensive crops plies. The expansion in the water use. Together they alfalfa-growing region that
for food rather than rely American Southwest was accounted for 10 percent is exempt from severe re-
on farms abroad. But it re- a “natural progression” in of U.S. exports of alfalfa strictions on pumping im-
versed that policy about its effort to diversify supply, and other grasses last year. posed on Phoenix, Tucson
eight years ago to protect said Jordan Rose, an attor- The land purchases signal and other large Arizona cit-
scarce supplies. ney for the company’s Ari- that Almarai doesn’t just ies under a 1980 state law
To further conserve water, zona unit. want to buy hay; it wants to designed to protect the
the country has adopted “The cows feed multiple grow. And it’s not the only state’s aquifers.
bans on selected crops. times a day, and they need Arab-owned Gulf compa- It later turned to the Palo
This year, the kingdom will to be certain that they are ny to take that approach. Verde Valley, where
no longer produce wheat. always able to fulfill that Al Dahra ACX Global Inc., Southern California settlers
In December, the gov- unwavering demand,” she a top U.S. hay exporter staked claim to the Colo-
ernment announced the wrote. based in Bakersfield, Cali- rado River in 1877, beating
fornia, is owned by Al Dah- Los Angeles and San Diego
ra Agriculture Co. of United under a Gold Rush-era doc-
Arab Emirates. trine called “first in time, first
in right” that governs the
It farms extensively in 1,450-mile waterway. The
Southern California and company paid $31.5 million
Arizona and, according to for 1,790 acres in January
its website, plans to add after buying about 2,000
7,500 acres in the United acres there last year.
States for alfalfa and other Farmers and water experts
crops. The exporter pack- have greeted Almarai with
ages crops grown across both cheers and jeers.q
the West at its two plants in