1

Fruits, Tree Nuts, and Berries 

Sales valued at $25.9 billion in 2012, up 39 percent since 2007.

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

www.agcensus.usda.gov

(800)727-9540

ACH12-30/October 2015

Highlights

Fruit, tree nut, and berry sales together amounted to $25.9 billion in 2012, 

according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture. This represented 7 percent of the 

$395 billion in U.S. agriculture sales that year and an increase of $7.2 billion 

since 2007, the last time the agriculture census was conducted. Ten states 

accounted for 94 percent of sales and 91 percent of acres producing these 

products in 2012. Just three states – California, Washington, and Florida – 

accounted for 87 percent of sales and 78 percent of acres.

The number of acres producing fruits, tree nuts, and berries was up 4 percent 

(5.5 million acres in 2012 versus 5.3 million in 2007). The increase in acreage 

came from tree nuts (up 14 percent) and berries (up 11 percent). The number 

of acres in 

non-citrus fruit 

production was 

up 2 percent 

since 2007, but 

acres in citrus 

production 

declined 

13 percent. 

(Table 1)

Fruits

Ten states . . . 

. . . account for 94 percent of 

fruit, tree nut, and berry sales. 

Top States in Sales

($ millions)

California 17,639

Washington 2,931

Florida 1,848

Oregon 517

Georgia 308

New York 308

Michigan 257

Texas 252

Wisconsin 219

Pennsylvania 161

Table 1

Land in Fruit, Tree Nut, and Berry Production, 2007 and 2012

(acres and percent change)

2007 2012 % change

acres 2007 - 12

Citrus Fruit 1,005,806 877,701 - 13

Noncitrus Fruit 2,176,511 2,209,192 + 2

Tree nuts 1,857,179 2,112,869 + 14

Berries 261,733 289,913 + 11

Total 5,301,229 5,489,675 + 4

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture, Specialty Crops.

Oranges and grapefruits are by far the 

largest citrus crops. More than three 

fourths (76 percent) of the 877,701 

citrus acres in 2012 were devoted to 

oranges, and another 10 percent to 

grapefruit. 

Florida and California continue to be 

the largest citrus producers, but like 

citrus acres overall, their citrus acres 

declined since 2007 – 18 percent in 

Florida, and 3 percent in California. 

Among non-citrus fruits, grapes and 

apples are the largest commodities. 

Over half of all land planted to noncitrus fruit trees is planted to grapes, 

which includes grapes for wine and 

raisins as well as fresh market grapes. 

Apple acreage accounted for about 

17 percent of non-citrus fruit acreage. 

Olive and grape acres had the largest 

increases since 2007; prunes/plums, 

pears, peaches, and avocados had 

the largest decreases. (Table 2)
2 USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Table 4

Berry Acres, by Type, 2012, and change since 2007

2012 % change

acres % 2007 - 12

Blueberries, tame 96,169 33 +25

Strawberries 67,467 23 +15

Cranberries 43,918 15 +6

Blueberries, wild 41,087 14 -10

Raspberries 23,104 8 +7

Blackberries and dewberries 14,982 5 +1

Other 3,195 1 +35

Total 289,913a 100 + 11 a

Some acres may have more than one crop.

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Producer Characteristics

Operators of fruit, tree nut, and berry farms resemble 

principal farm operators of all farms on many dimensions 

but they are more likely to be minority operators and on 

average are slightly older. A smaller proportion is under 45 

years of age. (Table 5)

Table 5

Fruit, Tree Nut, and Berry Producers: Key Characteristics, 2007 and 2012

(principal operators of farms specializing in fruit, tree nut, and berry production)a

2007 2012 All Farms

2012

percent

Gender

Male 86 86 86

Female 14 14 14

Age

Under 45 years 12 10 16

45 to 64 years 55 51 51

65 years and older 33 39 33

Race/Ethnicity

White (non-Hispanic) 83 81 92

Minorityb 17 19 8

Worked some days off the farm

Yes 70 63 61

No 30 37 39

Average Age (years) 59.1 60.8 58.3

a

More than half its sales come from fruits, tree nuts, and berries.

b Includes Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Asian Pacific Islander, and multi-race.

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Table 2

Non-Citrus Fruit Acres, by Type, 2012, and change since 2007

2012 % change

acres % 2007 - 12

Grapes 1,139,146 52 + 8

Apples 384,237 17 -4

Peaches 128,480 6 -14

Sweet cherries 105,244 5 + 5

Prunes and plums 88,122 4 -19

Avocados 73,534 3 -11

Pears 56,749 3 -17

Olives 51,150 2 + 29

Tart cherries 49,785 2 + 0.5

Other 132,745 6 + 4

Total 2,209,192 100 + 2

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Tree Nuts

Four nuts account for almost all the tree nut acreage in the 

United States: almonds, pecans, walnuts, and pistachios. 

(Table 3) More than 98 percent of the acreage in almonds, 

pistachios, and walnuts was in California. Three states – 

Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma – accounted for 72 percent 

of the pecan acreage. 

Table 3

Tree Nut Acres, by Type, 2012, and change since 2007

2012 % change

acres % 2007 - 12

Almonds 936,248 44 +19

Pecans 543,486 26 -7

Walnuts 332,045 16 +24

Pistachios 232,653 11 +51

Other 68,437 3 +8

Total 2,112,869 100 + 14

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Berries

Strawberries and tame and wild blueberries together accounted for more than 70 percent of the 289,913 U.S. berry 

acreage in 2012. Cranberries were the third largest berry 

crop, accounting for 15 percent of acres. Except for wild 

blueberries, all berry types had increases in acreage since 

2007. (Table 4) The combined acreage increased 11 percent, and the number of farms producing berries increased 

22 percent during that time. 

To learn more about fruit, tree nut, and berry farming, the 2012 Census of Agriculture, and how to access national, 

state, and county data, go to: www.agcensus.usda.gov