STOCKTON, CA - San Joaquin County agriculture pumped $7.492 billion into the local economy in 2024 and supported 35,958 jobs, Agricultural Commissioner Kamaljit Bagri announced today as she released a comprehensive economic analysis of a key county industry.
“This study goes beyond our annual agricultural report,” said Bagri. “Instead of stopping at farm production values, it also quantifies local food processing, employment, and economic ripple effects across the county. The findings offer vital information for anyone who values a vibrant, resilient local economy.”
To put the contribution in perspective, San Joaquin County agriculture pumped about $20.5 million into the county economy per day in 2024—roughly $855,000 per hour, or nearly $14,000 per minute.
“Agriculture is one of the driving forces behind San Joaquin County's economy, bringing prosperity to our communities,” said Chair and District 3 Supervisor Sonny Dhaliwal. “This analysis underscores the importance of protecting the Delta, which is vital to the success of our agricultural industry and the communities it sustains. The Board remains committed to preserving this critical resource while continuing to strengthen and promote agriculture across San Joaquin County.”
The new study updates a similar analysis released in 2020. Both studies were conducted for the San Joaquin County Office of the Agricultural Commissioner by Drs. Jeff Langholz and Fernando DePaolis of Agricultural Impact Associates, a California consulting firm specializing in agricultural economics.
Key findings include:
- Including local food production, processing, and multiplier effects, agriculture contributed $7.492 billion to the county economy in 2024. That's about $20.5 million per day, $855,000 per hour, and $14,000 per minute.
- The combined $7.492 billion in total 2024 output was 30.7 percent higher than the $5.732 billion figure from the original study, which was based on 2018 data.
- Of the $7.492 billion in total economic contribution, $5.513 billion came from direct economic output via production and processing. An additional $1.979 billion stemmed from multiplier effects generated by purchases of agricultural supplies and local spending by employees.
- Agriculture supported 35,958 jobs, a 6.6 percent increase over the 2018 level of 33,737. Of these, 24,025 jobs were directly in agricultural production and processing, while 11,933 were attributable to multiplier effects.
- As measured by a widely used index, San Joaquin County agriculture shows an exceptionally high level of economic diversification across products, providing critical stability and resilience for the agricultural sector and the broader county economy.
"Farmers, ranchers, and processors here do more than produce food. They put over $20 million a day into this county's economy. But these are gross numbers, not profit. This same report shows our production value grew 15 percent over ten years while costs ran up nearly 29 percent,” said James Chinchiolo, San Joaquin County Farm Bureau President. “Our families are running harder to stay in the same place. That is the number I hope policymakers sit with when they take up water, land use, and regulation."
Andrew Genasci, Executive Director of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Federation and fourth-generation dairyman, added: “Farmers and ranchers have long known that every dollar spent creates ripples that support a healthy local economy. Now, thanks to the new Crop Report Plus study, we have documentation of those wider economic effects.”
The report, “Economic Contributions of San Joaquin County Agriculture,” was released today in conjunction with Agricultural Commissioner Kamaljit Bagri's briefing of the Board of Supervisors. The report may be viewed online. A limited number of printed copies of the report are available at the Agricultural Commissioner's Office at 2101 E. Earhart Ave, Suite 100, in Stockton.
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