The Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards has released the 2014 Kern County Crop Report. The total value of $7,552,323,690 reflects a 12 percent increase over 2013. Kern County Farm Bureau Executive Director Beatris Sanders says they were pleasantly surprised by the numbers, but they don’t want the general public to believe growers aren’t facing huge challenges during this drought. Saunders says they are awaiting the 2015 crop report next August to see the full impact of the drought.
Hear from Kern County Farm Bureau
The top five commodities for 2014 are grapes, almonds, milk, citrus and cattle and calves, which make up more than $5 billion (66 percent) of the total value; with the top 20 commodities making up more than 78 percent of the total value.
The figures in this report represent only gross values and do not take into account the costs of production, marketing, transportation or other ancillary costs. No attempt is made to reflect net income or loss to the producers of these commodities.