California’s 77,500 farms produce more than 400 commodities, and two-thirds of the nation’s fruits and nuts. About one-quarter of what California produces is exported around the world.
Here are some more facts and figures about California agriculture.
California’s cornucopia
California remained the nation’s leading state in cash farm receipts in 2015 and produced 13 percent of the U.S. total. Nearly 27 percent of California’s 77,500 farms generated sales over $100,000, greater than the national average of 20 percent.
California has 25.5 million acres of farm and ranch land, and the average farm size was 329 acres in 2015.
County by county
California’s gross value of agricultural production declined 8.6 percent from 2014 to 2015, mostly in part to the drought and price fluctuations in several commodities. That said, the yearly production in 2015 was $59 billion. Here is a county by county look at gross value of production.
Tulare, Fresno and Kern counties each had gross value of agricultural production over $6 billion.
Tulare County decreased 13.7 percent from $8 billion in 2014 to $6.98 billion in 2015 but was still the No. 1 ranked county both years.
Ornamental County?
Orange County isn’t known for citrus any more. The largest commodity that was produced in Orange County in 2015 was woody ornamentals. Oranges came in at number 10.
Here are top commodities for other SoCal counties:
- Los Angeles: Vegetables, unspecified
- Riverside: Milk
- San Bernardino: Milk
- San Diego: Nursery, Woody ornamentals
Top commodities
The items on the table represent California’s top-15 valued commodities listed in the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s 2016 report. Each item is ranked with its estimated total gross value. Not all items are pictured.
Leading the nation
While California produces 13 percent of the total cash agricultural receipts for the U.S., it is the sole producer (99 percent or more) for the following crops.
Top five states
California’s cash receipts in 2015 were first in the nation and $20 billion more than the second highest ranked state.
Major production
California’s cash receipts in 2015 were more than these other 10 states combined.
Sources: United States Department of Agriculture, California Agricultural Statistics Review
