Fresno back on top of agricultural production in the US, but farmers fear for the future

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- FRESNO, Calif. -- Fresno is erstwhile again fig 1 successful the nation's cultivation industry, topping $9 cardinal successful 2024, according to the county's Department of Agriculture.

In particular, region officials said Fresno's fruits and nuts, and its livestock and poultry sectors saw important increases, astatine astir 19% and 9% respectively. Almonds, grapes and pistachios took the pb for crops overall, with a combined full worth of $3.36 billion.

Fresno besides exported 96 unsocial commodities to 91 countries worldwide past year.

This year, the section released a study connected economical contributions, adjacent to its yearly AG Crop and Livestock report. Tuesday, the Fresno County Farm Bureau said portion 2024's concern summation was a win, they're disquieted astir economical impacts moving forward.

"We've faced immoderate precise hard times the past 4 years, from a operation of issues," said Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau.

Jacobsen added that little than mean marketplace prices, rising input costs, and higher involvement rates person been a portion of the problem. He besides said that though 2024 was a bully twelvemonth for h2o successful Fresno County, but respective officials and farmers hold that shortages stay a concern.

"If we had each the h2o that we needed, I would be, probably, against adding star farms. But we cognize that that's not the case. And it's not going to beryllium the case," said Fresno Agricultural Commissioner Melissa Cregan.

Others instrumentality a harder stance connected star farms.

"I don't hold with it astatine all. Because it would ne'er spell backmost to farmland," said Nisei Farmers League President Manuel Cunha, Jr.

Meanwhile, Fresno remains 1 of the world's largest cultivation exporters. But farmers fearfulness that, too, could alteration if the h2o proviso decreases, including the anticipation of relying connected different regions for cultivation products. Jacobsen said if that were the case, it could interaction not lone the section AG production, but the system and nutrient quality, arsenic well.