India, Japan, and Korea are nuts for San Joaquin County walnuts and almonds.
They are the top three importers of farm commodities from San Joaquin County.
Exports accounted for a healthy chunk of agricultural crop dollars generated from harvests during 2024 in the county.
The gross value of agricultural production for 2024 in San Joaquin County was more than $3.14 billion, a 2.29 percent decrease from the 2023 total value of $3,220,324,000.
Details of 2024 production in San Joaquin County — the state’s seventh largest farm county in terms of output — is contained in a report released by Agricultural Commissioner Kamal Bagri.
“San Joaquin County’s agricultural heritage is a cornerstone of who we are — not just economically, but culturally and historically,” said Paul Canepa, Chair of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. “As we celebrate the County’s 175th anniversary, this year’s Crop Report is a reminder of the dedication, resilience, and innovation of our local farmers. Their ability to adapt to new opportunities while preserving generations of agricultural knowledge truly makes our region ‘Unique by Nature.’ We are proud to support this vital industry.”
The top 10 county commodities in 2024 were:
Milk: $536,945,000
Almonds: $492,310,000
Grapes: $319,310,000
Eggs and Poultry Products: $261,572,656
Walnuts: $240,050,000
Cherries: $240,018,000
Cattle & Calves: $165,629,000
Tomatoes: $120,653,000
Blueberries: $77,647,000
Silage and Other Field Crops: $70,633,000
Ninety-eight countries in 2024 imported farm commodities from San Joaquin County.
Leading the export list was walnuts with around 70 percent — or 73,940 of the 111,000 tons harvested.
The rest of the top five exported products were: almonds, with 62,678 of the 119,000 tons harvested exported; rice with 80 percent of the 15,516 tons produced exported; cherries with a third of the 14,870 tons harvested sold to other countries; and corn grain with 1,847 of the 101,000 tons produced exported.
The 101,000 tons of corn grain is in addition to 865,000 tons of corn grown to help power the top county commodity — milk.
There are at least six commodities that San Joaquin County produces that is the most for any county in California.
County orchards and fields generate the following percentage of California’s production: 51.4 percent for cherries; 36.7 percent for watermelons; 25.2 percent for blueberries; 22.3 percent for chicken eggs; 22.3 percent for walnuts; and more than 50 percent for pumpkins.
California overall farm production was $61.2 billion in 2024.
According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, California was the leading state by cash receipts in 2024, followed by Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, and Kansas.
“In honor of San Joaquin County’s 175th anniversary, the theme of this year’s report is ‘Unique by Nature’ which highlights what makes San Joaquin County naturally special,” said Bagri. “We explored the longevity of the agricultural industry in San Joaquin County, how practices have changed, and how we’ve built upon those stories and experiences to better shape the future. Over the course of 175 years, our farmers have developed their own cultivation and management practices for crops through generations of local experience.”
