SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY – In the Central Valley where agriculture and crops conquer, some growers took a big hit in the latest crop report .
San Joaquin County saw four of their top five crops decline in revenue.
The county’s farm bureau says there’s not one problem impacting crops, but for grape and almond growers, it boils down to supply and demand.
“It’s complex and frustrating,” Stuart Spencer said.
Spencer and his family have been in the wine industry for decades in Lodi but this year is shaping up to be one of the tougher ones.
“We have a flood of imports coming in. Our largest wineries are bringing cheap imports from overseas,” Spencer said. “Farmers aren’t like Tesla we can’t move to Texas, we have to stay where our land is.”
In San Joaquin County’s recently released 2023 crop report, grapes were hit hard compared to 2022, losing nearly $28 million in revenue.
“The yields were better last year, more than we thought, but we’re paying for the consequences now, there’s a lot of grapes that will go unharvested,” Spencer said.