Crop report reveals decline

Jun 17, 2009      Corning Observer

Julie R. Johnson

Jun. 17, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Tehama County's 2008 Crop Report shows a decline in crop values from 2007.

Tehama County Agriculture Commissioner Rick Gurrola said it was "unfortunate for the county's agriculture industry" to see an overall decrease.

According to the report, the total gross value of Tehama County agriculture production last year was about $159 million -- it has not been that low since 2004. The gross value in 2007 was more than $190 million.

"That is a 16.6 percent decrease from 2007," Gurrola said. He cited the cause as a significant decrease in prices for several commodities.

Orchard crops lead the overall decrease, with a drop of $34.6 million from 2007, even with an increase in yields in walnuts and prunes, according to the report. The olive crop was down from 2007 by 13,384 tons -- $9 million.

"This was due to a freeze in April and unseasonable heat and winds in May of last year," Gurrola said.

Prunes was the only crop to see an increase, and that was only minor -- 2.4 percent -- with the total up about 600 tons and the monetary total value up $592,200 from 2007.

The county's leading commodity in fruit and nut crops continues to be walnuts, followed by prunes, almonds, olives, pistachio, and grapes.

Alfalfa hay, at a value of $4.5 million, led the way for an increase in the county's total field crop value at $13.7 million, an increase of 49.4 percent over 2007.

The county also saw a 20 percent decrease in livestock values due to a decrease in inventory and prices, and a drop in rangeland values because of the ongoing drought, Gurrola said.

According to the report, the total value of livestock sold in 2008 was $16.8 million, down from $21. million in 2007.

Other information reported

In addition to crop and livestock values, the 2008 Tehama County Crop Report said commodities such as apiary, seed, nursery and vegetable crops that together totaled $11.2 million in 2008.

Other field crops included in the report are wheat, corn, oats, silage, other hay and miscelleneous crops such as beans and rice. And, it notes that there were 949,614 harvested acres in pasture and rangeland in the county.

The report also noted that in 2008, 23 registered organic growers producing livestock, dairy, orchard and field crops.

The county's 2008 efforts to eradicate exotic pests that threaten agriculture commodities is also part of the report.

In an interesting twist, the report compares 2008 agriculture values to 1958. There has been $144.8 million increase in 50 years.

"Wonder what it will be in the year 2058," Gurrola said.

Julie R. Johnson can be reached at 824-5464 or jjohnson@tcnpress.com.

Newstex ID: 35832476

Return to full Washington Letter