San Joaquin County’s leading industry took another plunge for the second year in a row, and agricultural production last year dropped by $395 million.
2016 was a tough year for San Joaquin County farmers.
Late rain wiped out the cherry crop. The drought was still a factor, and walnut and almond prices sunk along with livestock and poultry.
The 2016 Annual Crop Report showed production values at $2.7 billion but that’s a $900,000 loss over the last two years.
San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Executive Director Bruce Blodgett says the cherry crop alone took a $130 million hit.
“If you look at the top 10, only two commodities increased. There was winegrapes and down at the bottom there was potatoes that had a slight increase but everything else in the top 10 declined,” Blodgett said.
The county’s number one crop continues to be grapes.
However, asparagus is still declining from a historical high of 60,000 acres to only 1,300 last year, and cheaper imports are to blame.
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