Stanislaus reports 2022 crop income. See what rose or fell, and why Ukraine played a part
Stanislaus County on Tuesday reported about $3.73 billion in gross farm income for 2022, up 5% from the previous year.
High milk prices were a key driver, Agricultural Commissioner Linda Pinfold told the Board of Supervisors. Almonds slipped from the top spot due to weak prices, and walnuts did even worse.
The state-mandated report does not tally production costs, such as feed for cattle or fuel for tractors. Nor does it detail how the farm income ripples out to processing plants, truckers and related businesses.
Stanislaus’ gross income ranks sixth among California’s 58 counties and is larger than 18 entire states, Pinfold said. “So I’m just saying, we’re kind of a big deal.”
Drought stressed farmers last year
California was in the third year of drought in 2022, which reduced the volume of many farm products. But this also could mean higher prices for farmers who can eke out crops, especially in counties like Stanislaus where water rights are relatively strong.
The war in Ukraine also played a part, said Amy Lomeli, an inspector on Pinfold’s staff who helped compile the report. That nation is a key supplier of corn to global markets, but the Russian invasion cut into the 2022 volume. That raised feed prices overall, affecting Stanislaus County’s dairy and poultry industries.
The county grows plenty of its own feed — alfalfa, corn and other grains — and these farmers saw a jump in income last year.
The 2022 report fell far short of the record $4.4 million in 2014, when milk and nut prices were especially high.
“There’s been a lot of good times, no doubt about that, where things have gone so well,” said Supervisor Terry Withrow, an accountant and almond and grape grower. “... We’re so blessed to have the water and the soil and the climate here that allows us to do everything we do.”
Details on the top 10 farm products
The ag commissioner’s office has a good idea of what’s growing where because it also issues permits for pesticide spraying. The yield is multiplied by average prices over the year to arrive at total income.
Highlights of the top 10:
1. Milk: $1.13 billion in gross income in 2022, up from $801.5 million the year before. Volume rose slightly, but prices surged thanks to a recent federal program that bolsters milk prices.
2. Almonds: $753 million, down from $1.01 billion. Prices remained depressed from a bumper crop in 2000, and acreage declined. The industry also dealt with tariffs and a backlog in ports around the world.
3. Poultry: $383.2 million, up from $334 million. Prices for chicken and turkey rose due to avian influenza reducing flocks in other states.
4. Cattle: $192.8 million, up from $162 million. Drought resulted in higher prices. The category includes sales of calves to be raised on dairy farms and beef ranches, as well as slaughter of older animals for meat.
5. Fruit and nut nurseries: $175 million, up from $145.6 million. These businesses sell young trees and vines to fruit and nut farmers in California and beyond.
6. Silage: $173 million, up from $128.6 million. It is a high-quality dairy feed made by fermenting corn, oat and other grains under tarps.
7. Almond pollination: $87.4 million, down from $91.5 million. It is the main source of income for the county’s beekeepers, who also sell honey and wax.
8. Eggs: $84.2 million, up from $39.8 million. Bird flu in other places boosted prices, as did California’s mandate for cage-free production.
9. Hay: $68.1 million, up from $45.4 million. Drought raised prices for alfalfa, oat and other types of hay.
10. Tomatoes: $53.5 million, up from $34.1 million. Higher prices amid the drought helped here, too. Most of the crop goes to the area’s canneries rather than produce aisles.
Walnuts made the top 10 in the 2021 report, at $109 million. Low prices and a summer heat spike dropped the 2022 income to $42.7 million.
The report details dozens of other substantial crops, such as peaches, cherries, apricots, lima beans, melons and sweet potatoes. Lesser fruits and vegetables are lumped into “miscellaneous.”
The report notes other tasks at the ag commissioners office, including tracking of pests and certifying measuring devices for an array of businesses.
And this year, the report highlights how young people learn about farming through 4-H and FFA. The Stanislaus County Farm Bureau helped compile this part.
