LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The latest crop report for Lake County shows the total value of its agricultural products has rolled back to a level seen a decade ago, showing the impact of market pressures.
Agricultural Commissioner Steve Hajik completed the 2020 report, which was submitted to the Board of Supervisors late in 2021.
This will be the last crop report for Hajik, who retires this month after 20 years as agricultural commissioner. “That’s a record,” he told Lake County News. The previous record was 17 years.
He’ll be succeeded by Katherine Vanderwall, the deputy agricultural commissioner and sealer of weights and measures.
The 2020 crop report shows a major rollback of Lake County’s gross agricultural value, which was $75,471,368, down 30% from 2019.
Hajik’s report represents gross agricultural receipts and does not reflect production costs or net income to the producers.
He said Lake County’s agricultural value hasn’t been at this level since 2011, and is the result of market forces negatively and significantly impacting the winegrape, walnut and timber industries. At the same time, the continuing drought has impacted the field crops and cattle industries.
The county’s highest-ever ag value — $120,753,532 — was reached in 2017. Hajik said every year since then the value has declined.
In 2020, the top commodities were:
• Winegrapes: $52,509,710;
• Pears: $16,626,482;
• Miscellaneous livestock: $1,319,500;
• Cattle and calves: $1,234,000;
• Nursery production: $1,072,170;
• Walnuts: $1,047,600.
“Winegrapes account for most of the value of Lake County ag these days,” Hajik said.
The gross value of winegrapes in 2020 was down 37% from 2019. Hajik said issues impacting that industry included smoke damage and labor.
The report said the total winegrape tonnage was 39,520 and the total grape acreage was 10,009, a decrease of five acres. The tons per acre decreased by 16% and the average price per ton decreased by 26%.
Pears, the county’s No. 2 crop, actually fared better. That crop’s gross value in 2020 was $16,626,482, an increase of 13% from 2019. That gross value represents the value of the pears after they are packed and processed, and doesn’t indicate the value of the pears at the time of harvest or the gross income of the producers.
Total production decreased by 3,256 tons but the price per ton increased by 30%.
“Pears did well,” said Hajik.
He said he believes that was because of market changes brought on by COVID, with people staying home more and canned fruit operations doing quite well. “That’s my best guess.”
While pears had fewer acres, Hajik said the best acres remain in place.
The gross value of walnuts was $1,047,600, a decrease of 49% and the production decreased by 3%. The price per ton decreased by 43% and acreage remained the same, the report showed.
He expects the 3,500 acres of walnut acreage will be halved by 2022 due to the declining market.
Hajik pointed out a number of areas where there were increases. Among the most notable was miscellaneous livestock, which increased by 10,995%, rising from $110,000 to $1.2 million.
There also were increases in nursery production, 39%, and vegetables, 220%.
Decreases were reported in miscellaneous fruit; 4%; livestock and poultry production, 40%; cattle, 14%; field crops, 28%; and timber, 98%.
Hajik said timber went from $1.6 million to $31,000, which he attributed to fires and salvage logging, which is much cheaper than normal logging. “If you sold your timber now, you’d be losing money.”
For the first time, the crop report included industrial hemp, which Hajik said was done at the behest of Supervisor Bruno Sabatier.
He said Lake County only had three growers and eight acres of hemp. “It’s not really taking off.”
The report does not include cannabis, which for the purposes of reporting isn’t considered an agricultural crop, Hajik said.
The state, which is responsible for registering cannabis growers, has indicated it may be coming up with some basic information for agriculture commissioners to include in their reports, such as the number of growers, acres and value. So far, however, “That’s only talk,” Hajik said.
Asked about the biggest changes he’s seen in the report during his time as agriculture commissioner, Hajik said it’s the reduced acres of the pear industry.
In 2003, Lake County had 3,000 acres of pears. It’s now at 1,400 acres; Hajik said it’s expected the county will lose 200 more acres this year.
“The value of tons per acre has gone up,” Hajik said, rising from $348 per ton in 2003 to $733 per ton in 2020.
At the same time, grapes have almost doubled in acres and walnuts have stayed about the same. “Those are the biggest changes,” Hajik said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Lake County agricultural value drops to lowest level since 2011
- Elizabeth Larson
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