FAIRFIELD — Walnuts led the charge with other permanent crops climbing the list of the Top 10 crops and commodities in Solano County in 2016 – and agriculture officials expect that trend to continue.
In fact, a couple of newcomers – pistachios and pecans – will soon be included in the Crop and Livestock Report compiled each year by the Agriculture Commissioner’s office.
The wildcard remains marijuana, which will not be a legal commercial crop in the county until at least 2018 – and maybe not anytime in the near future. The Board of Supervisors has yet to vote on whether to allow commercial cannabis.
The 2016 gross crop value in Solano County declined by nearly 2 percent overall, falling to $347.2 million. The total economic impact from agriculture is calculated at $531 million.
Ag Commissioner Jim Allan said the decrease in the gross value is due to the lingering effects of the five-year drought. The crop value fell 6.5 percent from 2014 to 2015.
He said the county is fortunate to have so much diversity in its agricultural profile, which means if one or two crops show a decline in value, there are typically two or three that gain in value.
Only Monterey has a larger diversity profile among the 58 counties in the state, Allan said.
What are gaining the most value are the permanent crops, such as nut production and wine grapes. Allan said with more and more acreage going into orchards, and as those trees begin to produce, the county should see the crop value start to climb.
Equally true, Allan said, as more wineries take root, then more of the locally grown wine grapes will stay in the county.
An estimated $100 million in value is lost each year with the export of grapes. It was reported that 94 percent of all grapes grown in Suisun Valley leave Solano.
With the Caymus Solano getting county approval on Aug. 3, that winery will have the capacity to take all the Suisun Valley grapes, officials said. It already has contracts with a number of area farmers.
Walnuts had a gross value of $44.8 million in 2016, a healthy $18.2 million increase.
Processing tomatoes had held the top spot the past two years, but fewer acres were planted, and even with a higher yield, experienced a nearly 20 decline from 2015.
Nursery products were second on the list with a gross value of $39.7 million, climbing from third on the list to second. The seed industry is benefiting from the economy coming out the downturn as farmers are buying more to plant more.
Rounding out the Top 10 are almonds ($35.9 million), up from eighth spot in 205; tomatoes ($33.8 million), down from first; alfalfa-hay ($22.3 million), down from fourth; wine grapes ($19.6 million), up from seventh; sunflower seeds ($11.4 million), up from ninth; sheep and lambs ($9.3 million), up from 10th; cattle and calves ($9.2 million), down from fifth; and wheat ($7.4 million), down from eighth.
Gross crop and commodities values
2016: $347.2 million
2015: $353.9 million
2014: $378.6 million
2013: $348.2 million
2012: $342.7 million
Top 5 crops/commodities
Crop: 2016 (2015 ranking)
Walnuts: $44.8 million (2nd)
Nursery products: $39.7 million (3rd)
Almonds: $35.9 million (6th)
Tomatoes: $33.8 million (1st)
Alfalfa (hay): $22.3 million (4th)
Wine grapes: $19.6 million (7th)
Sunflower seeds: $11.4 million (9th)
Sheep, lambs: $9.3 million (10th)
Cattle, calves: $9.2 million (5th)
Wheat: $7.4 million (8th)
Source: 2016 Solano County Crop and Livestock Report
