Stanislaus farm income in 2019 was solid though not spectacular
Stanislaus County on Tuesday reported about $3.6 billion in gross farm income last year, up slightly from 2018.
The report is a reminder of agriculture’s strength amid a COVID-19 pandemic that has made a mess of the 2020 economy in general.
Almonds once again were the top-grossing farm product in 2019, followed by milk, chickens, cattle and nurseries that grow fruit and nut trees.
Milton O’Haire, the county agricultural commissioner, unveiled the report at the morning meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
He stressed, as usual, that the document does not account for farm production costs, and thus for profit or loss.
The report also does not get into the ripple effect of the farm output. Tens of thousands of people work for dairy plants, nut processors, canneries, poultry plants, wineries and other businesses. Others provide fertilizer, pesticides, trucking, lending, tractor repair and other farm-related goods and services.
The 2019 figure is up 0.7% from 2018 but well short of the record $4.4 billion in 2014, when nut and milk prices were unusually high.
It remains to be seen how the pandemic will affect the 2020 numbers. The spring shutdown of much of the economy did not include food and beverage production, which were deemed essential. Demand remained strong from consumers stuck at home, but restaurant purchases of the products plunged.
A look inside the basic numbers
Last year’s report coincided with a separate survey on how the basic farm products stimulate the county economy. Using figures from 2017, it estimated that farming employed 29,192 people directly and another 5,233 indirectly. Total economic output stood at $7.15 billion.
The figures did not include the value of farm goods that were processed in Stanislaus but grown elsewhere. That would add about 7,000 jobs and $7 billion in output, the authors said.
Many of the county’s processors get raw products from Merced and San Joaquin counties, and more distant parts of the Central Valley.
That report, by the firm of Agricultural Impact Associates, said farming generates about an eighth of Stanislaus County’s jobs.
Details on the top 10 for 2019
The annual crop report determines the total gross income by multiplying the total volume of a farm product by the average price received by farmers. The top 10 for 2019:
1. Almonds: $1.23 billion in gross income, up from $1.11 billion in 2018. Volume and prices both rose moderately.
2. Milk: $628.7 million, down from $636.5 million. Volume dipped, while prices rose a bit.
3. Chickens: $365.8 million, up from $276.9 million. Volume increased slightly, prices a lot.
4. Cattle: $198.5 million, down from $236.8 million. The total number of animals was little changed, but prices declined. The category includes cattle slaughtered for market as well as young livestock sold to dairy farmers and beef cattle ranchers.
5. Fruit and nut nurseries: $175.3 million, up from $170.2 million, mainly because of a much larger number of young plants sold. This sector mainly supplies commercial fruit and nut growers. Ornamental plant nurseries are separate.
6. Silage: $137 million, up from $135.9 million. Silage is corn and a few other crops that ferment under tarps into high-quality dairy feed. Volume declined, while prices increased.
7. Walnuts: $122.5 million, up from $102.6 million. Volume was down, while prices jumped.
8. Almond pollination: $83.9 million, up from $75.8 million. The number of rented beehives rose, while prices were flat. This is by far the largest income source for the county’s beekeepers.
9. Turkeys: $60.9 million, down from $64.3 million. A drop in the number of birds was the main reason.
10. Melons: $51.5 million, up from $25.9 million. Higher prices were the main reason here. Melons were a newcomer to the top 10, edging out peaches, a dominant crop in decades past.
Other farm products of note from Stanislaus
The report covers the mid-size crops, such as tomatoes, apricots, cherries, wine grapes, sweet potatoes, alfalfa, honey and chicken eggs. And it touches on the niches, from chestnuts to beeswax to squab.
Stanislaus’ rank among California counties for 2019 will be known when all of the reports are in.
Fresno County led the way in 2018 with $7.91 billion in gross farm income, followed by Kern, Tulare, Monterey and Stanislaus. Merced was sixth at $3.25 billion and San Joaquin seventh at $2.59 billion.
The report notes that Stanislaus County’s farm income is higher than 20 entire states across the nation. Arizona ranks just ahead of it and Montana just below.
This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 4:51 AM.
