With release of 2019 crop report, Fresno County keeps nation’s top ag title

The Fresno County Department of Agriculture’s 2019 Crop and Livestock Report was presented Nov. 24 to the Board of Supervisors. For the second year in a row, Fresno County is the No. 1 agricultural county in the nation.

“Fresno County’s 2019 Crop and Livestock Report once again showcased how this region is the food capital of the world,” Fresno County Farm Bureau (FCFB) CEO Ryan Jacobsen said in a news release. “A significant amount of the nation’s plate originates right here in our backyard with over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts grown in California, a great majority of those here in the San Joaquin Valley. In total, California holds seven of the nation’s top 10 agricultural counties, including Fresno, Kern, Tulare, Monterey, Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin.”

Overall, the 2019 agricultural production value in Fresno County totaled $7.717 billion. While the total crop production decreased 2.31%, Fresno County was just able to hang on to the No. 1 spot.

“This report is prepared in accordance with California Food and Agriculture Code and summarizes the acreage, production, and value of agricultural commodities produced in Fresno County,” said County of Fresno Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures Melissa Cregan. “The figures contained herein represent gross returns to the producers and does not reflect actual net profit.”

Included in the 2019 report are over 300 different commodities, 78 of which have a gross value in excess of $1 million.
“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 89 countries around the world,” said Cregan.

Fresno County Department of Agriculture issued 17,796 phytosanitary certificates for 63 commodities destined for 89 countries around the globe in 2019. In addition, inspectors walked and certified 1,406 acres of alfalfa, lettuce, radish and onion grown for seed export.

“During this week of gratitude and thanks typically celebrated around the dining table, we should all be appreciative to the men and women whose jobs depend on agriculture,” continued Jacobsen.

Too often, the Crop and Livestock Report gets summarized down to just a single overall number, but it yields a significant amount of information, such as, the ability to examine changes and trends in crop acreage and yields. Amounts in the report reflect the gross income values only and does not reflect net return to producers.

“The Crop Report is more than numbers,” said Jacobsen. “It provides the opportunity to salute local agriculture and focus on the food and fiber, jobs and economic benefits our farms provide. No matter how small or big the farm operation is, they all provide essential benefits to our community, nation and world.”

One significant component of the report is the review of the county’s “Top 10 Crops,” which showcased the diversity of products grown in the county.

In 2019, these crops accounted for just shy of three-fourths of the report’s value.

“This year’s Crop Report was a salute to our ‘superheroes’in the agricultural community, including the work done by the County of Fresno Department of Agriculture in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture in protecting the agricultural industry from invasive species and pests.

– Fresno County Farm Bureau