Nut categories dominate top 10 California ag performers in 2019

California’s farms and ranches received more than $50 billion in cash receipts for their output in 2019. This represents a slight increase over reported cash receipts compared to the previous year.

According to a news release, California agricultural exports totaled $21.7 billion, an increase of 3% from 2018. Top commodities for export included almonds, pistachios, dairy and dairy products, wine and walnuts. California’s agricultural export statistics are produced by the University of California, Davis, Agricultural Issues Center.

California organic product sales totaled more than $10.4 billion in 2019, an increase of 3.5% from the prior year. Organic production encompasses over 2.5 million acres in the state and California is the only state in the U.S. with a USDA National Organic Program.

California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. Over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. California’s top-10 valued commodities for the 2019 crop year are:

• Dairy Products, Milk— $7.34 billion
• Almonds — $6.09 billion
• Grapes — $5.41 billion
• Cattle and Calves — $3.06 billion
• Strawberries — $2.22 billion
• Pistachios — $1.94 billion
• Lettuce — $1.82 billion
• Walnuts — $1.29 billion
• Floriculture — $1.22 billion
• Tomatoes — $1.17 billion

Note: The 2019 Crop Year Report was assembled in late 2020.