Solano County records historic rise in crop value
(Stock photo, Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Solano County reported a spike in agriculture production last year, with cultivation netting $407 million in gross value, according to a new report published by the county's agriculture department this week.
The report, which will be reviewed by the Solano County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, called the figure a "new record high value" that surpassed the county's previous record set in 2014 and the first time the aggregate financial value of crops in Solano County crossed the $400 million mark.
County officials said local cultivators increased the gross value of their crop by a collective $50 million — an impressive figure considering many agriculture businesses continued to be impacted by the ongoing effects of the multi-year coronavirus pandemic.
For the third year in a row, almonds were the top cash crop in Solano County, with a value marked at $71.1 million — a 40 percent increase compared to the previous year. Tomatoes, which were once the top crop in the region, came in second with a gross value of $44.1 million, county officials said.