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California leads the nation in both agricultural production and manufacturing. As a food producer, California has been number one since the 1940's, and the state also has been the manufacturing leader for many years. Farming, food processing and related activities account for ten per-cent of all jobs in the state. Manufacturing and industry also provide employment for a large portion of the state’s workforce.
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Major Agriculture
More than 350 crops are grown in California, with over half the country’s nuts, fruits and vegetables coming from the state. Major products include alfalfa, apples, avocados, barley, broccoli, carrots, celery, citrus fruits, cotton, flowers, garlic, grapes, greenhouse plants, lettuce, maize, melons, rice, strawberries and tomatoes. Grown almost exclusively in California are almonds, apricots, artichokes, dates, kiwi fruit, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes and raisins. The state’s number one crop is cotton.
Dairy products, including milk, cheese, butter and eggs, contribute greatly to the economy, with milk being the leading farm commodity. The second leading product is beef cattle.
Livestock raised in California includes calves, cattle and chickens.
Some counties and their most important products include:
Fresno - cotton, grapes, poultry.
Imperial - alfalfa, cattle, lettuce.
Kern - almonds, cotton, grapes.
Merced - almonds, cheese, chickens, milk.
Monterey - broccoli, lettuce, strawberries.
Riverside - eggs, grapes, milk.
San Bernardino - citrus, dairy, grapes.
San Diego - avocados, eggs, greenhouse products.
San Joaquin - almonds, cotton, grapes, milk.
Stanislaus - almonds, chickens, milk.
Tulare - grapes, milk, oranges.
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Major Industry
Principal industries in California include aerospace, apparel and fashion design, biotechnology, communications, computer hardware and software, electronics, entertainment technology, environmental technology, food processing, fruit processing, meat processing, metal products, motor vehicles, multimedia, plastics, printing products, ships, textiles, travel and tourism, wholesale trade, wine-making and wood products.
The state’s top manufactured product is electrical equipment. The electronics industry is centered in the Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, and the Los Angeles area and Sacramento also have major production facilities.
The aerospace industry, a large contributor to the economy of the state, is primarily located in Southern California, with many plants found in the Los Angeles and Long Beach regions. All kinds of aircraft are made in the state.
The apparel industry focuses on outdoor and casual living, due to the state’s warm year-around climate. Los Angeles boasts many clothing designers and manufactures, and they tend to be style trend-setters for the nation and world.
Food processing plants are located in many areas of California.
California’s manufactured goods appeal to the global market and are extensively exported, as well as used throughout the United States.
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Sources:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Office of Public Affairs
1220 N St., #100
Sacramento, CA 95814
California Agricultural Statistics Service
1220 N St., Room 243
Sacramento, CA 95814
California Trade and Commerce Agency
Office of Economic Research
Sacramento, CA
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