What is the current value of all California agricultural production? $43.5 billion
Does California truly feed the world?
California is the world’s fifth largest supplier of food, cotton fiber and other agricultural commodities. We produce more than 400 different crops—everything from world- renowned wines to specialty items such as almonds and raisins.
For the past 50 years, the men and women who work in California’s fertile fields have made this state the nation’s No. 1 agricultural producer and exporter. If it’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it was probably grown right here in California.
What crops are primarily grown in California?
The Golden State is the nation’s sole producer (99 percent or more) of many specialty crops, such as: Almonds, Artichokes, Clingstone Peaches, Dried Plums (prunes), Figs, Garlic, Olives, Persimmons, Pistachios, Pomegranates, cannery tomatoes, Raisins, Sweet Rice and Walnuts.
How many farms are in California?
California has nearly 80,000 farms and ranches—less than four percent of the nation’s total, Yet, the Golden State’s agricultural production represents 13 percent of the nation’s total value.
What are some of the top crop values?
California’s top 20 crops and livestock commodities account for more than $28 billion in value. Each of the top 10 commodities exceed $1 billion in value.
- Milk and Cream
- Grapes
- Nursery
- Almonds
- Cattle and Calves
- Lettuce
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Floriculture
- Hay
- Oranges
- Chickens
- Broccoli
- Cotton
- Walnuts
- Rice
- Carrots
- Pistachios
- Lemons
- Avocados
1. Fresno (grapes, almonds, tomatoes, poultry, cattle and calves) $6.6
How does California stack up in the nation’s dairy industry?
However, since 2008 California dairymen and women have suffered under low milk prices and high feed prices.
According to milk production data released early in 2013 by the California Department of food and Agriculture, the state’s diary farms lost $882 million in 2012. An average 1,000 cow dairy with an average per cow production of 23,457 pounds of milk, lost about $310,000 for the year.
Over the last two years, more than 200 California dairies of shut their doors.