Title
Agriculture Department recommending the Board receive and file the El Dorado-Alpine Counties 2022 Agricultural Crop and Livestock Report.
FUNDING: General Fund/Unclaimed Gas Tax.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
An annual El Dorado and Alpine Counties crop report is required in accordance with Sections 2271 and 2279 of the California's Food and Agricultural Code for the purpose of publishing an accurate and meaningful report of the agricultural conditions. Lending/financial institutions, news outlets, statistical services, education centers, realty agencies, and prospective agricultural land purchasers are extremely interested in the annual crop report. The crop report represents an overview summary of our top commodities, thus protecting the privacy of our growers and ranchers while emphasizing the importance of agriculture to our local economy.
The gross crop value for the County of El Dorado was $48.8 million, representing a decrease of 39% from the 2021 values.This year, livestock was the leading crop at $13.2 million representing a 4.8% increase from 2021. Timber was the second highest value crop at $7.97 million, representing a 66% increase from 2021 as production began recovering after the 2021 Caldor Fire. Apples and wine grapes, the usual leaders for crop value, were decimated by a late freeze in April 2022, as were most of the fruit and nut crops including olives, walnuts, stone fruit, and berries. Apple values in 2022 were $5.24 million representing an 83% decrease from 2021, and wine grape values were $4.18 million, representing a 42% decrease from 2021.
Monetary values in this report are F.O.B. (Freight On Board) and do not reflect net returns or profits realized by the growers. It is estimated that the impact of agriculture to the County of El Dorado’s economy totaled approximately $565.8 million in 2022, of which, Apple Hill and value-added products contributed an estimated $352.7 million while the wine industry added another $251.8 millio...
Click here for full text