Photo of Curtimade Dairy in Tulare County. Photo contributed.

Better yields and strong prices drove Tulare County ag production in 2021 to increase by nearly a $1 billion from the year prior.

Ag production and values increased 13.3% in 2021 from 2020, topping $8.08 billion according to the Tulare County Ag Commissioner’s Crop Report they presented to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

This is an increase of $949.5 million from 2020.

Dairy production as well as fruit and livestock drove the gains. Milk alone made up 23% of ag values in 2021. A 4% year-over-year increase drove milk production to $1.94 billion.

Livestock and poultry also experienced strong year-over-year increases in value.

The sector increased 9% year-over-year to $732.4 million.

Poultry counts increased to 16.1 million in the county, up from 15.8 million in 2020. Poultry values also increased by $.50 a pound. Those increases pushed totals to $87.1 million, up from $58.2 million the year before. Cattle increased $31 million to $633.6 million.

Prices and production for fruit and nuts helped drive a 20% increase in value to $4.6 billion.

Despite decreases in grape acreage, prices pushed raisins and table grapes forward, leading to $113.8 million in gains year-over-year.

Lemons production and prices pushed values $78.5 million higher to $347 million despite only modest increases in acreage.

Orange values jumped $290 a ton in 2021 from 2020. Oranges grossed $972 million, up $128 million.

Increases in almond acreage kept values near the previous year. Almond values dropped $5 million to $334 million. More recently, anecdotal evidence has almond prices at record lows, with some reports putting them at below $2 a pound from highs in previous years near $5 a pound. Logistical delays to world markets have created gluts domestically.

Pistachio values climbed $115.8 million higher, pushed by increases in acreage and production.

Vegetables dropped 22% year-over-year to $20.5 million, with decreases in sweet corn acreage weighing down the sector.