Agriculture Today - June 2007

Fresno County agricultural production tops $4.8 billion for 2006

Despite last summer’s heat losses, new record is set

Fresno County’s crop and livestock production set a new record last year, topping more than $4.845 billion.

Despite significant losses from record-breaking heat last summer, the Fresno County Department of Agriculture 2006 Agricultural Crop and Livestock Report was presented to the Board of Supervisors last month, showing a 4.4 percent increase over 2005.

"For the fourth consecutive year, Fresno County has exceeded the $4 billion mark,” Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Jerry Prieto, Jr. told the supervisors.

Fresno County’s agricultural strength rests with its diversity. With more than 350 commercial crops produced in Fresno County, it’s a given that some years will be good for some and poor for others. Increases were seen in several segments, including fruit and nut crops, seed crops, livestock and poultry and apiary products and pollination services. This, despite more than $114,600,000 in crop and livestock losses last year from frost, hail, untimely rain and excessive heat.

The highlights from 2006 include:

• Vegetable crops showed a nine percent increase from 2005, led by fresh onions which climbed over 101 percent in yield and value;
  
• Fruit and nut crops showed a slight increase over 2005, resulting in value increases in almonds, specialty citrus crops (mandarins, minneola tangelos, etc.), grapes, peaches and plums.
  
• The total value of turkeys increased to more than $47.8 million. Fresno County has more than 3.889 million turkeys. (The feathered variety!)
  
• Apiary and pollination services showed an 85.2 percent increase in value over 2005.
  
• In industrial crops, timber saw a sharp increase in value of more than 65 percent.
  

  The annual crop report provides a chance to examine changes in crop acreage and yields. Within the past five years alone, there have been significant changes in some of the county’s major crops. Cotton, for example, was the county’s number one crop in 2001 with more than 286,630 acres of acala, upland and pima varieties. Last year, total cotton acreage topped 180,000 acres and the crop ranked number seven in the top 10. Economic factors and changes to higher-valued crops are reasons for the transition.

  Almonds, of which much cotton acreage has transitioned into on the west side, had almost 62,000 acres in 2001. It now tops more than 99,000 acres, ranking number two behind grapes.

  Interestingly, garlic acreage, which was more than 25,000 acres in 2001 and among the top 10 crops that year, now totals 17,920 acres – impacted heavily by cheap foreign imports from China and elsewhere.

  Other crops showing increases in acreage include pistachios with only 7,047 acres in 2001, now topping more than 18,000 acres; pomegranates had 1,480 acres in 2001 and now has more than 2,700 acres; and specialty citrus, such as mandarins, minneolas, tangelos and pummelos, had only 1,384 acres in 2001 with today at more than 3,700 acres in Fresno County. 

  To no surprise, the dairy industry has shown tremendous growth in milk production. In 2001, there were 86,200 head of breeding and cull stock and calves. Last year, that number was 182,900-head of all dairy cattle, and milk and dairy product production was more than 25.26 million cwt.

  Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Jerry Prieto presented the annual report, along with Dennis Plann and Bob Vandergone, of the Fresno County Agriculture Department. Both Plann and Vandergone received high praise from the county leaders for their combined 70+ years of service to agriculture, as both will be retiring later this year. Copies of the report are available on-line via the county website: http://www.co.fresno.ca.us.