Crop report shows county’s ag diversity

A more detailed look at the 2021 Tulare County Crop Report again continues to show the county’s agricultural diversity.

The crop report was presented to the Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. For the second time ever it was reported Tulare County’s gross production value surpassed more than $8 billion.

It was a huge rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic year of 2020 in which ag production dropped by about $400 million from 2019. Ag production in 2019 was about $7.5 million, but dropped to $7.14 million in 2020. But ag production increased by 13.3 percent by nearly $1 billion from 2020 to 2021.

Milk continues to be the county’s leading producer with a gross value of more than $1.94 million in 2021. That was an increase of 4 percent by more than $76 million fro 2020.

Milk represented 23 percent of the total ag value in the county in 2021. While milk’s value increased by 4 percent in the county in 2021 its production increased by 1 percent from the year before.

Livestock and poultry also saw a year-to-year increase of nine percent by more than $732 million. This was due to a higher per unit value for cattle and poultry, said Tulare County Agriculture Commissioner Tom Tucker.

There was also a huge increase for field crops production in 2021 as it also increased by 13 percent. “This increase is mostly attributed to better yields and prices for several field crops,” Tucker said. Total field crop production was more than $571 million in 2021.

The biggest increase, though came in fruit and nut production which increased by 20 percent in 2021. Total fruit and nut production was more than $4.6 billion in 2021.

The increase is due in

part to the increase in almond, pistachio and tangerine acreage, but particularly pistachios. Pistachio production in the last 10 years has increased by 387 percent in the county.

Nursery products had an overall value of $119 million in 2021, a 9 percent increase over the year before.

Vegetable crops along with grapes was one of the products that saw a decline. Vegetable crops had a value of more than $20.5 million, a 22 percent decrease from 2020. Tucker attributed the decline in vegetable crops to a decrease in sweet corn acreage from 2020.

“Tulare County’s agricultural strength is based on the diversity of the crops produced,” Tucker said. Tulare County grows more than 150 commodities and 42 had a value of more than $1 million in 2021.

“Although individual commodities may experience difficulties from year to year Tulare County continues to produce highquality crops that provide food and fiber to more than 90 countries throughout the world,” Tucker said.

Tulare County now has two commodities that are worth more than $1 billion. Along with milk, Tulare County’s second biggest producer was navel and valencia oranges at more than $1.22 billion.

While grapes continued to see a gradual decline it was still the third leading produce in the county at $684 million. The rest of the top 10 crops were:

Cattle, $633.6 million; pistachios, $560.12 million; tangerines, $431.52 million; almonds, $355.71 million; lemons, $347.13 million; peaches, $197 million; corn for grain and silage, $181.8 million.

Tulare County had 125 organic growers with 17,348 acres in 2021. There was more than 5,000 acres in citrus groves in 2021.

Gross ag production had steadily increased every year since 2002 until 2014, the only other year in which ag production in the county surpassed $8 billion. Then over the next two years due to the severe drought there was a considerable drop off.

Ag production in the county increased from $3.2 billion in 2002 to $8,084,672,400 in 2014. But in 2015 the production dropped to just under $7 billion and in 2016 it went down to just below $6.4 billion.

The county rebounded in 2017 with ag production continuing to increase with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic year of 2020.

A new record was set in 2021 as last year barely exceeded 2014 at $8,089,621,300.

Oranges is by far the biggest export from Tulare County as they represent nearly 43 percent of all exports.