Agriculture — no matter how you look at it — is big in San Joaquin County.

In 2023 there were:

*3,430 farms — almost all small family-owned concerns.

*Agricultural land accounted for 84.97 percent — or 1,207 square miles — of the county’s 1,421 square miles.

*There were 34,000 people employed in farming related jobs from the fields, orchards, and dairies to processing  and support according to the state Economic Development Department. That’s almost one out of every 10 jobs,

*Commodities grown in San Joaquin County were exported to more than 80 nations with almonds leading the way.

 *Overall production in San Joaquin County reached $3.22 billion.

Based on that San Joaquin County — if it were a free-standing state — would rank between Maryland (36th at $3.9 billion in annual ag production) and Utah (37th at $3 billion in annual ag production).

 It is against that background that the San Joaquín County Board of Supervisors was presented with the 2023 crop report by Agricultural Commissioner Kamaljit Bagri during their Tuesday meeting.

Milk was the county’s top agricultural commodity at $621,400,000.

The rest of the 2023 top five included grapes at No. 2 with $393,887,000, almonds at No. 3 with $343,553,00, cherries at No. 4 with $273,374,000, and eggs/chickens at No. 5 with $238,924,000.

The balance of the top 10 were walnuts at No. 6 with $149,326,000, tomatoes No.7 at $147,369,000, cattle and calves at No. 8 with $145,596,000, blueberries at No. 9 with $81,178,000, and corn/silage at No. 10 with $77,970,000.

It should be noted all production figures are gross value of the actual commodities produced.

The numbers do not reflect net proceeds after expenses are factored into the equation.

”We generate over $3 billion annually from agriculture and once you add in all the agriculture-adjacent industries such as food manufacturing and wineries, the number shoots up to over $4 billion annually,” said Kamal Bagri, San Joaquin County’s Agricultural Commissioner “We are seventh in California for gross value of crop production. These numbers have remained strong for the agriculture industry even through times of economic struggle, attesting to the reliability of the agriculture industry as the foundational economic driver of our County.”

Pumpkins — the signature crop Manteca celebrated each year in October — came in at $30.3 million.

The 73,300  tons harvested from 3,210 acres primarily in the Manteca, Ripon, and Tracy area accounts for almost 70 percent of California’s annual pumpkin production.

Manteca also is ground zero for San Joaquin County being the state’s  largest watermelon producing area by far.

In 2023, some 60,800 tons of watermelon were harvested from 1,600 acres for an overall value of $32.6 million.

“San Joaquin County is one of the most agriculturally rich regions in California and one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world,” noted  Supervisor Miguel Villapudua, Chair of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors.

.“We export to more than 90 countries and our economic output is nearly $8 billion. This thriving industry is fueled by thousands of people and jobs that make it an economic powerhouse globally. This year’s theme, ‘Beyond the Tractor’, highlights the number of jobs and industries that are stimulated by the agriculture industry. I look forward to this report every year as it provides insight into why agriculture is such a driving force of San Joaquin County.”

 To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com