The top three categories of agricultural products of California are fruit and nuts (about $11 billion produced annually), livestock and poultry ($10 billion produced annually), and vegetables and melons ($7 billion produced annually), according to the California Department of Agriculture. With over 75,000 farms and ranches, which is less than 4 percent of the nation’s total, the Golden State represents almost 13 percent of the total agricultural value in the United States and is also a major global supplier of agricultural commodities.
Dairy
With regard to individual commodities, the top revenue producer by far is dairy products, primarily milk and cream. California dairies provided the country with $4.5 billion worth of dairy products in 2009, which represented 18% of the total value of dairy products produced in the United States. Although the actual value of dairy products fluctuates widely depending upon the commodity price of milk, the volume of dairy products continues to increase from year to year in California.
Greenhouse/nursery products
At $3.8 billion in gross receipts in 2009, California’s greenhouses and nurseries provided 24% of the plants (vegetables, fruit, and yard plants and trees) that are grown throughout America. California is a major supplier to nurseries and seed catalogs across the country.
Grapes
California is known for its vineyards, and for good reason: The state produces almost 90% of the grapes that are grown within the U.S. In 2009, gross receipts from grapes totaled $3.3 billion. Most of these grapes are used for wine making.
In addition to the top agricultural products produced in the state, California is also responsible for supplying the country and export markets with several important specialty items such as almonds and pomegranates. Canada, Europe, and Japan are the top three export markets for California commodities.
Some of the most productive agricultural counties in the world reside in California, including Fresno and Tulare counties, each of which produced over $5 billion worth of agricultural commodities.
Overall, California currently produces over half of all United States-grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables, with over 400 individual commodities. With a year-round growing season in many parts of the state, California’s agricultural industry never goes into hibernation and continues to provide produce to American tables throughout the year.
For additional information about California’s major agricultural commodities, refer to the California Department of Agriculture website or California Fact Sheet from the US Department of Agriculture.
