The News isn't ALL Bad: Check the Crop Report and Rivco Exports
If you’re looking for some good news amidst all the economic gloom and doom lately, you might want to check out the latest Riverside County Agriculture Report (2008).
The numbers represent the good news that not only is the total ag figure for last year up—a record, in fact—but they also lend further credence that Riverside County exports are increasing while other sectors of our economy are static or shrinking.
Agriculture is an important part of this county’s export business which helps Riverside County export over 2.5 billion in products in 2008. Not only that--exports account for 41,000 full time jobs right here in the Key County.
Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner John Snyder has released his 2008 Agricultural Production Report to the Board of Supervisors revealing that agricultural products produced in the County totaled $1,268,589,900, an increase of $3.5 million from the previous record year of 2007.
Rivco ag products are being exported to 57 countries. Commissioner Snyder places the value of our exports in 2007 at just over $160 million, while the newly-formed Riverside County Office of Foreign Trade estimates the exports grew in 2008 by 3 percentage points, pushing the total to $ 165 million dollars.
Overall, the top crop (again) in 2008 is Nursery Stock, with Milk Production in second place and Eggs third. Table Grapes and Hay round out the top five.
The export picture is a different story. Riverside County’s top agricultural exports in 2008 were citrus at 71%, Hay at 14%, and Grapes at 5%.
To review the 2008 Riverside County Agricultural Production Report please visit the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner’s webpage at www.rivcoag.org.