FAIRFIELD — Solano County agriculture continues to recover after several years of decline to the gross value of crop and livestock production with one of the biggest years in county history.
The gross value of Solano County’s agricultural production for 2018 was $363,977,000, representing an increase from 2017 values by $9,421,000 or 2.7 percent from 2017 according to the county Agriculture Commissioner’s Office annual report.
High crop diversity allowed Solano County to remain competitive as market demands rapidly change.
Nursery products was the top crop, though decreasing in value by 3 percent to $43,248,000.
Tomatoes (processing) ranked second with a 28 percent increase in value to $34,720,000, and alfalfa (hay) in third with a 24 percent value increase to $31,746,000.
Cattle and calves moved up two places to fourth with a 21 percent rise in value to $30,367,000 due to expanded grazing from good seasonal rain patterns.
Other commodities that rose in rank due to higher yields and market values were grapes (wine), which jumped 44 percent into fifth place at $29,404,000, and sunflower (seed), which climbed one rank into seventh at $25,203,000, or a 46 percent increase.
Almonds dropped to sixth place representing a 3 percent decrease to $29,299,000.
Notably, Walnuts fell from first place in 2017 to eighth place, a 47 percent drop to $25,133,000 due to reduced production and market values from years of strong production in the region.
Wheat remained in ninth with a 4 percent increase to $7,580,000.
Not seen in the “Top Ten” since 2006 and taking tenth place are prunes (dried), which rose by 34 percent to $5,886,000 from higher yields.
It is important to note that sheep and lambs ended its three-year run in the “Top Ten,” falling by 38 percent to $3,721,000 from reduced overall production in favor of cattle and calves as grazing conditions improved.
