Madera County had a slight decline in the gross value of agricultural production in 2020. With a loss of $52 million, a 2.6% decline, the value ended up at $1.95 billion for the county, which ranks 10th in production for California.
Ag Commissioner Rusty Lantsberger attributed this to a series of issues, from the pandemic to the drought, labor shortages, shipping disruptions and decreased commodity values. Almonds and milk retained the top spots, respectively, while pistachios—a more drought resistant crop—moved to number three, bumping grapes to the fourth position. Figs moved to number seven, after not being in the top ten in 2019.
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Both bearing acres and production for almonds increased since 2019, moving from 149,000 harvested acres to 157,000. However, lower prices led to a drop in value of more $100 million.
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