Fresno County still No. 1

Grape rebound helps fuel rise to lead nation with \$4.7 billion in
agricultural production.

By Dennis Pollock / The Fresno Bee

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|   *(Updated Wednesday, April 27, 2005, 6:34 AM)*\                     |
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|   ![](media/image1.jpeg){width="2.5in"                                |
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|   Cutherto Garcia Arreola mows Tuesday in an almond orchard along     |
|   Barstow Avenue near De Wolf Avenue, east of Clovis. Fruit and nut   |
|   crops increased in value to \$1.8 billion in 2004. Almonds ranked   |
|   No. 4 in Fresno County. The commodity increased in value because    |
|   of more acreage and a nearly 60% price increase.\                   |
|   Richard Darby / The Fresno Bee                                      |
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Fresno County retained its spot as the nation\'s No. 1 agricultural
producer in 2004, thanks partly to rallying prices for grapes, its top
commodity.

Agriculture Commissioner Jerry Prieto Jr. triggered laughter and
applause from county supervisors when he said in his annual report that
the gross value of farm and ranch products was \$4.7billion,
\"completely burying Tulare County.\"

Tulare County had \$4.04billion in production.

The grape industry, whose financial woes in 2001 helped drop Fresno
County to No. 2 behind Tulare County for one year, saw significant
recovery in 2004 with a total value of \$592million compared with
\$401million the year before.

\"It\'s really great news to know we\'re still No. 1 and we\'re going to
stay there,\" said Fresno County Farm Bureau President Pat Ricchiuti.

Not everything was rosy across all sectors of farming, Ricchiuti and
Prieto said, pointing out poor sizing for some stone fruit, including
plums.

\"Growers continue to see increased commodity prices offset by the
increased costs for labor, water, fuel, energy and regulatory
mandates,\" Prieto said.

The annual crop report included some bright spots. Among them was a
\$100million increase in the value of the raisin crop from 2003 to a
total of \$252million. Pistachios recovered from a disastrous 2003 crop,
jumping to a \$63million value from \$14million.

Diversity has been a key to the county\'s success, Prieto said.

Fresno, Kings and Merced counties are leading the state in construction
of new dairies, he said. As in Tulare County, the costs for hay and
other cattle feed crops rose in Fresno County during 2004.

The 2004 total for all crops was up 15% from 2003.

Total gross returns for field crops increased by 19%, to \$594.7million.
Acreage for fresh and processed garlic dropped by more than a fourth.

Fruit and nut crops increased in value by 21%, to \$1.8billion. Almonds
increased in value by more than \$140million because of increased
acreage along with a nearly 60% price increase.

The value of livestock and poultry products rose by nearly 40% to a
total of \$338million.

Oranges fell in value from \$215million to \$192million, partly because
of a decline by nearly 2,000 acres of navel oranges. Bob Blakely,
director of grower services for California Citrus Mutual in Exeter, said
some orange trees were pulled out for a transition to other varieties.

\"There is also a lot of development going on around Fresno,\" said
Blakely, who was returning from a conference in San Bernardino on the
state citrus industry.

Some orange groves around San Bernardino are being preserved as public
parkland, he said.

\"It\'s hard to believe, but they\'ve become a novelty,\" Blakely said.

Development also was a factor in a local almond grower\'s plans. James
McFarlane of Clovis said he has not replanted some older orchards
because they stand in the path of city growth.

This year\'s crop has been challenged by rain and wind that toppled
nearly 300 trees in his orchard and hampered bee pollination, he said.

\"I suspect this year\'s crop will be a good 25% to 30% off from last
year,\" McFarlane said.

Article published Apr 27, 2005\
**County ag brings in \$4b**\
**Tulare County is No. 2 agriculture producer in nation**\
\
**By Shannon Darling\
Staff writer**

Good weather, good prices and good crops pushed Tulare County\'s
agriculture to a historic level last year, according to the 2004 Tulare
County Crop and Livestock Report released today.

Crops and livestock brought in a record \$4.04 billion, up from 2003\'s
\$3.3 billion, a 23 percent increase.

\"I would call this past year a pretty good year for agriculture,\" said
Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner Gary Kunkel.

Kunkel presented the report to the Tulare County Board of Supervisors
this morning.

\"It was the first time we have ever crossed the \$4 billion mark,\"
Kunkel told the board.

But the record mark was not enough to make the county the No. 1
agricultural county in the nation. Tulare County is ranked No. 2 behind
Fresno County, Kunkel said. Fresno County crops grossed \$4.69 billion,
according to the county\'s crop report, also released Tuesday.

Fresno County Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Dennis Plann said it was a
record year for Fresno County, too, but was quick to point out that crop
reports only show gross earnings and don\'t account for higher labor
wages or increases in cost.

The 17-page report details Tulare County agriculture crops, their
acreage, yield and price per unit.

The record-breaking year

is credited, in large part, to the price of milk and oranges, the
county\'s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked crops.

### Milk, orange prices

Milk continued to be the county\'s top-producing agriculture commodity,
grossing \$1.3 billion, up from \$1.06 billion in 2003.

\"Dairies were struggling for about five years,\" Kunkel said. \"But
this year the price was good and volume was good.\"

In 2004, the price of milk paid to farmers rose to \$14.58 per
hundredweight, up \$3 from the year before. A hundredweight is 100
pounds.

Oranges also had a very good year in 2004, bringing in \$545 million, up
\$103 million over 2003.

\"Tulare County produces more fresh oranges than any one in the
nation,\" Kunkel said.

### Other top crops

Rounding out Tulare County\'s top 10 crops in 2004 were: cattle, grapes,
alfalfa, cotton, plums, corn, almonds and nectarines.

Kunkel attributed the No. 3 ranking of cattle to the \"popularity of the
low-carb diet.\"

Two new crops made it to the top 10 in 2004 --- almonds and cotton.
Those crops bumped peaches and walnuts off the top 10 list.

Almond growers saw a huge increase in gross value, with the crop
bringing in \$90.7 million in 2004 compared to \$47.5 million in 2003.
That brought the crop to the No. 9 spot in 2004 from the No. 12 spot the
year before.

\"Almonds were the real surprise this year,\" Kunkel said.

Cotton also did well in 2004, according to the report, edging its way
back into the top 10 crop list after a few disappointing years. Cotton
was ranked the No. 6 crop earning \$100 million, up from the No. 11 rank
in 2003 when the crop earned \$61 million.

\"I heard cotton growers --- who had been around long before I was born
--- say it was the best cotton year they had ever seen,\" Kunkel said.

Another big winner in 2004 was the tomato crop, which brought in \$5.6
million, up from \$1 million in 2003.

### A few losers

The big losers this year included cherries, grapefruit and persimmons.

Cherries were down \$7.7 million from the previous year. Grapefruit and
persimmons each brought in \$5 million less.

With fewer acres harvested, tangerines went down \$18.8 million in 2004.

Honey and other bee products decreased 19 percent, as beekeepers
struggled with lower prices, according to the report.

Supervisor Steve Worthley said he was pleased to see in the report that
overall harvested acreage in the county increased by 30,000 acres.

\"We hear so much about urban encroachment \... it\'s impressive to see
those numbers,\" he said.

 *The reporter can be reached at <sdarling@visalia.gannett.com>.*