BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Kern County Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards has released the 2021 Kern County Agricultural Crop Report. The crop report lists the different commercial crops grown in Kern County and how much revenue each crop brings into the county in a year.
According to the report, the most lucrative crop for Kern County is grapes. This is a switch up from years prior, when almonds were the county’s biggest cash crop. In 2021, almonds fell to the number 4 biggest moneymaker coming from Kern County farms.
Almonds continue to be the crop with the most farmland dedicated to it in the county, with a total of 235,030 acres of almond groves. Grapes of all kinds, including those destined to become wine and raisins, have less than half that amount of dedicated land.
By far, the commodity crops that bring the most money into Kern County are fruit and nut crops like oranges and pistachios. The top five commodity crops in 2021 were grapes, citrus fruits, pistachios, almonds, and milk. Together, these crops make up more than 75 percent of the total crop value out of Kern County, amounting to $6.3 billion in value.
According to the report, the 2021 gross value of all agricultural commodities produced in Kern County is more than $8 billion dollars ($8,341,409,070). This amount represents a 9 percent increase from the 2020 crop value.
To view the complete Kern County Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards 2021 Agricultural Crop Report, including pest control costs and efforts, organic farming, imports and exports, and a list of county certified farmer's markets in Kern County, please visit their website.
