Fresno County farmed record-breaking $7.9 billion in crops in 2020. This topped the list
Fresno County broke its own record for agricultural and livestock production in 2020, according to officials, but some took the Tuesday report with a somber tone as the outlook for the drought is dim.
The total gross production value of the plants and livestock raised in the county was up by 2.86% from last year and peaked at more than $7.98 billion, according to the crop report from county Agricultural Commissioner Melissa Cregan.
The last record was set in 2018, which was topped in 2020 by 1.7%.
“Although individual commodities may experience difficulties from year-to-year, Fresno County continues to supply the highest quality of food and fiber nationwide and abroad to more than 101 countries around the world,” Cregan said.
Almonds made up $1.25 billion of the total county gross for the year. Grapes were second with more than $1 billion, and pistachios rounded out the third spot with $761 million, the crop report says.
The top 10 also included, in order: poultry, milk, cattle, garlic, tomatoes, oranges and peaches. Peaches were not on the list last year and bumped off mandarins, Cregan said.
California has seven of the nation’s top 10 agricultural counties, including Fresno, Kern, Tulare, Monterey, Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin.
California grows more than a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts, according to Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen.
“While 2020 was a year that will always be remembered for its shuttered markets, significant price fluctuations, supply chain complications and workforce challenges, our agricultural community pulled together to continue to feed and clothe people both near and far,” he said.
Jacobsen added the water outlook is concerning in California. State regulators cut off Fresno and central San Joaquin Valley farmers from their main irrigation supplies in August, banning them from drawing water from the California’s main rivers and streams as the drought worsens.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a drought in the majority of the state’s counties.
Supervisor Brain Pacheco, who is himself a dairy farmer, said while the report was something of a celebration on Tuesday, drought is a serious concern for farmers in the coming year.
“The only time Fresno County has not been No. 1 has been years following a drought,” he said.
