Weather and market prices deliver negative impact on gross value
Auburn, Calif. – Historic weather challenges and lower tree crop market prices contributed to a 12% decrease in the total gross value of agricultural crops and products in Placer County for 2022.
Rice, along with beef cattle, nursery products, poultry and walnuts, remained among Placer County's top five highest-gross-value crops.
That's according to the 2022 Placer County Agricultural Crop Report, presented to the county Board of Supervisors as an informational item at its meeting yesterday in Auburn.
Value
The total agricultural crops and products value for 2022 was $88,852,432, a decrease from 2021's record-setting value of $100,817,713.
"Placer County farmers and producers faced unprecedented weather impacts and a shifting market landscape in 2022," said Placer County Agricultural Commissioner Josh Huntsinger. "Despite these challenges, our agricultural community demonstrated resilience and strength. We remain dedicated to supporting our local farmers and working together to navigate these dynamic conditions."
The annual totals reflect the gross value of agricultural crops and products, not producers' net incomes.
Top Crops
Rice remains king
Rice retained its spot as Placer County's top-grossing crop with a value of $32,200,000 – a $4.3 million increase from 2021.
Beef cattle moved up from third to second place with an overall value of $11,872,000, the same as in 2021.
Nursery stock production jumped two spots into third place with a value of $9,350,000 – an increase of about $1.2 million from 2021. A strong market pushed poultry into fourth place with a value of $6,096,400.
Walnuts rounded out the top five crops with a value of $5,244,228, a decrease of $9.2 million from 2021 due to weather conditions and weak market prices.
Invasive species
As part of its legal mandate to prevent invasive species from entering the state, the Placer County Department of Agriculture, Parks and Natural Resources profiled over 50,000 shipments containing plant material and deployed over 1,500 invasive insect detection traps.
The annual crop report, published between August and September, continues to evolve its content with additional agricultural data and history.
The report also includes data about farmers' markets, local and organic products, weighing devices, pest exclusion shipment inspections, noxious weed control and more.
For more information, contact the Agricultural Commissioner's Office at 530-889-7372. A copy of the 2022 Crop Report, and Crop Report Plus Series, a look back at the economic contributions of agriculture in Placer County, are available online here.