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In 2016, Fresno County Ag Profits Dropped By $482 Million, Drought And Global Prices To Blame

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The total value of agricultural goods sold last year in Fresno County dropped in value by around $482 million compared to 2015 according to the 2016 Annual Crop and Livestock Production Report released in mid-August by Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Les Wright.

 

Wright blames the lack of surface water supplies. Other farm goods like livestock fell by around 7 percent or $6 million dollars last year as well. Still the county produced over $6 billion in agricultural goods in 2016.

 

"Crop values vary year-to-year based on production, markets and weather conditions," Wright says in a press release. "In 2016, markets were less than stellar for many of our commodities. Additionally, for West side growers, this included a third straight year of no surface water allocation."

 

Almonds alone grossed over a billion dollars for the fourth year in a row. The top five crops for 2016 in the county are almonds, grapes, poultry-cattle, and tomatoes. For more on the crop report FM89's Ezra David Romero interviewed Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Les Wright on Valley Edition. For that interview click play above.

 

Ezra David Romero is an award-winning radio reporter and producer. His stories have run on Morning Edition, Morning Edition Saturday, Morning Edition Sunday, All Things Considered, Here & Now, The Salt, Latino USA, KQED, KALW, Harvest Public Radio, etc.
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