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U.S. Department of Energy
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Economic assessment of California field crop losses due to air pollution. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6958722
The main goal of the study was to integrate the California Agricultural Resources Model (CARM) with the scientific crop-loss data base from the University of California-Riverside and to run the CARM model to evaluate the economic impact of ozone-caused crop losses on California farmers and consumers of California farm products. The results estimated that the total economic loss from the ozone damage to crops in California is approximately $333 million annually. A comparison of the regional benefits of reducing ambient ozone levels concluded that over 90% of the economic benefits to farmers of ozone reduction are concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley region. The study also evaluated several different alternative seasonal and hourly ozone standards. The estimated benefits range from $333 million annually for a .025 ppm seasonal ozone standard to $50 million annually for a .06 ppm seasonal ozone standard. The producer benefits range from $24 to $14 per acre. Given a net return of $60-$200 per acre for California field crops, the ozone reduction would substantially improve farm profits.
Research Organization:
California Univ., Davis, CA (USA). Dept. of Agricultural Economics
OSTI ID:
6958722
Report Number(s):
PB-90-180233/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English