Sacramento, California - In 2014, the most recent year for which a full crop-year report is available, California’s 76,400 farms and ranches received approximately $54 billion for their output. This represents an increase of 5.1 percent over 2013. California is the leading US state in cash farm receipts with combined commodities representing nearly 13 percent of the US total.
California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. Over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. The dairy industry, California’s leading commodity in cash receipts, generated a record $9.36 billion for milk production in 2014, up 23 percent from 2013 and 22 percent above the record year of 2011.
California’s top-ten valued commodities for 2014 are:
- Milk – $9.4 billion
- Almonds – $5.9 billion
- Grapes – $5.2 billion
- Cattle and calves – $3.7 billion
- Strawberries – $2.5 billion
- Lettuce – $2 billion
- Walnuts – $1.8 billion
- Tomatoes – $1.6 billion
- Pistachios – $1.6 billion
- Hay – $1.3 billion
In 2014, California’s agricultural exports amounted to $21.59 billion in value. As a percentage of the total US agricultural exports for 2014, California’s share represents 14.3 percent—slightly less than the 14.9 percent share reported the previous year. California’s top 10 export destinations—European Union, Canada, China/Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Korea, India, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Vietnam—accounted for 69 percent of the 2014 export value. For 2014, India showed the largest growth in total export value compared to the previous year at 19.1 percent.
California agricultural statistics derive primarily from the United States Department of Agriculture/National Agricultural Statistics Services (USDA/NASS) reports. The California Department of Food and Agriculture also publishes statistics related to California dairy production and, in cooperation with the University of California at Davis, statistics for California agricultural exports.
For most timely research into California dairy statistics, please see our dairy pages under Division of Marketing Services. Please see also links in the right hand column for USDA National Agricultural Statistics and Economic Research Service reporting. For county-level reporting please see the CDFA County Liaison site.