Fresno County edged both Tulare and Kern counties in 2024 for top spot in ag production value. Fresno crops’ value reached $9 billion in 2024 — a record number. That’s up 5.7% from 2023.

Meanwhile dairymen saw high milk valuation last year helping boost Tulare’s total value in the No. 1 milk producer nationwide. Tulare milk’s value makes up more than a quarter of the the total value of all ag production in that county.

Kings County had mostly good year

High milk prices on average of $21.60 per hundredweight last year also helped Kings County boost its total crop value 13.4% reported ag commissioner Jimmy Hook Oct. 21. Valuation hit $2.44 billion in 2024.

But it wasn’t just milk that boosted values in Kings as the county rebounded from the 2023 widespread flooding. Livestock and poultry increased 27% as the price of beef was up. Processing tomatoes also contributed to the increase.

Not every crop increased, as alfalfa hay production and value per unit declined over 2023. Pima cotton acreage increased to 71,000 acres in 2024 versus flood ravaged 2023’s total of just 27,000 acres. The crop came in at $134 million — about double the number in 2023.

Returns were not as bountiful in the vineyards as the valuation of grapes dropped from $58 million in 2023 to $48 million. Hard hit Kings walnut growers saw better returns on fewer acres in 2024 as the value per ton doubled over 2023.

Poultry numbers drop two thirds

The impact of bird flu can be seen in the inventory of poultry in the county that fell from 2.6 million head in December 2023 to just 820,000 in December 2024 — down two thirds.

The top commodities in Kings County were milk, followed by pistachios, cattle and calves, processed tomatoes and cotton — in that order.

Kings County milk valuation followed commodity markets with the 2024 average of $21.6 per cwt compared to $19.30 in 2023, a record $26.30 per cwt in 2022, $19.10 in 2021 and $18.60 in 2020. So far in 2025 while we don’t have an average yet it appears they will be well below 2024. Class IV milk dropped from over $21 per cwt in January 2024 to $13.90 on the futures market for this December. Class IV is over 60% of pooled milk sold. The 2025 average is likely to be in the $17 to $18 per cwt range that will shrink crop valuation totals in big milk producing counties like Tulare and Kings.

By the way, a big plus for dairy operators is the drop in feed prices in the past few years. From July 2023 to July 2025 corn is down 31%, soybeans down 30% and alfalfa down 15%.

Kern county was the 2023 leader of the pack but crop value dropped 8% from ’23 to ’24 in part due the downturn in grapes and wine grape valuation. The decline in value of wine grapes produced in the county was dramatic falling from $132 million in 2023 to just $27 million in 2024.

John Lindt covers agriculture and business for The Sentinel.