Can California agriculture remain sustainable?

Not all the data are in just yet, but California is already banking on a lower gross value of its agricultural output for 2015. The California Department of Food and Agriculture collects reports from each of the county agricultural commissioners on crop output during the previous year. Several, but not all of the major crop-producing counties have submitted their reports. Of those that have, the numbers are disappointing and predictable. Citing U.S. Department of Agriculture numbers, the CDFA suggests gross crop values could be down about $9.5 billion from the 2014 figure that came in above $50 billion for the first time in history. Tulare and Fresno counties have released their reports. Kern County’s report should be out this month. These are consistently the top three in the state. Fresno and Tulare counties were down considerably for much the same reasons. Softer commodity prices in the major crop categories – tree nuts, grape and milk – factored in as some acreage declines because of water availability.