Solano crop production hurt by COVID pandemic, wildfires, county report says
Almond, walnut and sunflower crops hurt by pandemic, while nursery products saw large spike in value due to stay-at-home orders.
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Solano County recorded more than $357 million in agricultural production last year, according to a new crop and livestock report published by county officials on Tuesday.
The amount represents a drop of 4 percent compared to crop and livestock utility in 2019, with county officials blaming the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s LNU Lightning Complex wildfire among aggravating factors that resulted in the lower overall crop value.
“The COVID-19 pandemic broadly impacted all sectors of Solano’s diverse agricultural community in ways few other challenges have,” a county official wrote in the multi-page report published this week. “State of emergency and stay-at-home orders forced school, food service and hospitality industry closures, causing a sudden rise in unemployment as well as a sweeping transition to a new telecommuting workforce. These extraordinary changes disrupted long-established agricultural supply chains and market outlets.”
County farmers and ranchers did their best to respond to the shifting restrictions and regulations imposed during the pandemic, but the restrictions coupled with a shortage of personal protective equipment for field workers and other staffers proved to be a significant challenge.
State emergency officials stepped in to help provide personal protective equipment to Solano County agriculture workers, with the county distributing more than 78,000 surgical masks, 17,250 N-95 respirators, more than 4,000 cloth masks, thousands of pairs of gloves and hundreds of bottles of hand sanitizers.
The LNU Lightning Wildfire — the largest wildfire in Solano County’s history — also brought significant challenges for local growers, particularly for those in the wine industry whose vineyards and tasting rooms were already challenged by the health pandemic.
“As fires burned relentlessly throughout northern California into September, smoke taint of wine grapes became another troubling issue to contend with,” county officials said. “Although testing for smoke taint revealed low levels of smoke compounds in local grapes and some growers reported wineries rejecting grapes, Solano vintners supported local producers, and the issue did not manifest as severely here as in other regions.”
(Image: Smoke from the remnants of the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire blanketed Solano County for weeks. This photo, captured in early September, shows how local residents, businesses and farmers continued to struggle with poor air quality more than two weeks after the fire’s ignition. Solano NewsNet file photo.)
Wine grapes accounted for a significant wedge of Solano County’s crop output, officials said, bringing in more than $21.1 million to the local agriculture economy. That figure represents a 2 percent decrease compared to 2019, county data showed.
County farmers and ranchers were able to squeeze by financially in part due to grants issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other sources. The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program supplied $17 million in direct payments to Solano County farmers, ranchers and vintners.
Nursery products, on the other hand, thrived during the pandemic: County data showed nursery plants and other products brought in $37.4 million in 2020, a 20 percent increase compared to the previous year.
“Nurseries experienced an upswing in business as home-bound residents took to their yards and gardens both as a recreational outlet and for their own sustenance,” officials said.
Looking to the future, county officials say an ongoing and declared drought will almost certainly further impact cultivation and production in Solano County. The impacts of this year’s drought conditions won’t fully be recognized until the 2021 crop report comes out around this time next year.
Still, officials say they expect Solano County farmers and ranchers to remain resilient in the face of ongoing climate and health challenges.
“The ability to withstand and ultimately prevail through the unprecedented circumstances of 2020 is testament to the enduring value and importance of Solano’s agricultural diversity,” the report concluded.
By the Numbers
Commodity Values
Value of each crop produced in Solano County last year (percentage of commodity group)
Fruits & Nuts: $104,643,000 (29 percent) - includes almonds, grapes, olives, etc.
Vegetables: $77,017,000 (22 percent) - includes tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.
Field Crops: $58,939,000 (17 percent) - includes alfalfa, ryegrass, grain, etc.
Animal Production: $67,601,000 (19 percent) - includes livestock and poultry
Nursery Products: $37,466,000 (10 percent) - includes flowers, plants and trees
Seed Crops: $11,493,000 (3 percent) - includes sunflower seeds, corn, watermelon, etc.
Top Crops
The most-grown crop in Solano County, ranked, with 2020 crop value [change compared to 2019 rank]
Almonds: $50,700,000 [no change]
Tomatoes, processing: $38,078,000 [no change]
Nursery Products: $37,466,000 [+1]
Cattle & Calves: $36,069,000 [-1]
Alfalfa / Hay: $26,142,000 [+1]
Walnuts: $22,519,000 [-1]
Grapes for Wine: $21,189,000 [no change]
Sunflower Seeds: $10,482,000 [no change]
Pollination / Bees: $5,107,000 [not ranked]
Dried Prunes: $4,986,000 [not ranked]
Top Crop Year-Over-Year Value
The top 10 crops grown in Solano County and increase or decrease percentage of value compared to 2019
Almonds: 8 percent drop in value
Tomatoes, processing: 3 percent rise in value
Nursery Products: 20 percent rise in value
Cattle & Calves: 2 percent drop in value
Alfalfa / Hay: 4 percent drop in value
Walnuts: 18 percent drop in value
Grapes for Wine: 2 percent drop in value
Sunflower Seeds: 33 percent drop in value
Pollination / Bees: 59 percent rise in value
Dried Prunes: 20 percent rise in value
(Data source: County of Solano Crop and Livestock Report, 2020)
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