Walnuts were the highest valued crop in Butte County, California, last year, surpassing almonds, which typically lead by gross value. The county has over 20,600 hectares of walnuts in production.
According to the Butte County Department of Agriculture's annual crop and livestock report, walnuts generated more than US$150 million in value despite lighter yields. Average yields were down 15% from the previous year across 20,600 hectares.
Colleen Cecil, executive director of the Butte County Farm Bureau and a walnut grower near Chico, said the lower yields were linked to last year's excessive summer heat. "I was surprised they were number one," she said, noting that the value increase was unexpected.
Walnut grower prices have recovered compared to previous years. Not long ago, reported grower prices were near US$0.20 per pound, but by 2025, they had improved considerably, lifting the crop's overall value.
The higher walnut prices contributed to Butte County's total crop value rising to more than US$589 million, an increase of US$15.2 million from the previous year.
Almond production also contracted, with just under 14,200 bearing hectares reported. Yields increased by an average of 200 pounds per acre to 1,800 pounds, while prices to growers rose 25%. Hull prices declined by 40%, a trend also observed in Tulare County in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
Butte County exported agricultural products to 59 countries in the reporting year. Organic farming accounted for more than US$29 million in value, covering a range of fruits, vegetables, and wild rice. Sixty-three farmers managed more than 2,400 hectares of organic farmland.
Source: FarmProgress
