Cream of the crops: Here were Sacramento’s Top 10 agricultural commodities in 2020
Wine grapes remain, by far, the top agricultural commodity in Sacramento.
The cash value of all varieties of crops totaled about $455 million in 2020, according to Sacramento County’s annual crop and livestock report, released Tuesday.
Grapes made up more than one-third of that total, at $156 million. They also held the No. 1 spot in 2019, worth $175 million, meaning wine grapes saw a 12% year-over-year decrease.
The county notes that the value of specific commodities rises or falls each year “based on weather, supply and demand, and market forces.”
“Notable increases in 2020 included cherries, whose cash value is up 82 percent over 2019 due to favorable spring weather conditions,” county officials wrote. “Oat hay is up 69 percent over last year, and almonds increased 61 percent in value over the previous year’s crop.”
Milk, second to wine grapes at $64 million, increased about 25% compared to 2019, according to the report.
Overall, the value of all agricultural commodities dropped 1.2% from 2019 ($460 million).
“Last year (2020) was fraught with challenges and yet the gross production value of agriculture in Sacramento County remained relatively stable,” the county’s agricultural commissioner, Chris Flores, said in a statement. “This is a testament to the resiliency and importance of this industry.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 2:18 PM.
