California Walnut Acreage Publication

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service

2019 California
Walnut Acreage Report
Cooperating with the California Department of Food and Agriculture
Pacific Regional Office · P.O. Box 1258 · Sacramento, CA 95812 · (916) 738-6600 · (855) 270-2722 Fax · www.nass.usda.gov/ca

Released: May 28, 2020, 12:00 p.m. PDT Revised: July 13, 2020
The 2019 non-bearing and total acreage were revised based on the updated 2019 Walnut Nursery Sales Report.

RESULTS
California’s 2019 walnut acreage is estimated at 440,000
acres, up 10 percent from 2017. Of the total acreage,
365,000 were bearing and 75,000 were non-bearing.
WALNUT BEARING AND NON-BEARING ACREAGE 1/

Year 2/
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019

Bearing
270,000
280,000
290,000
300,000
315,000
335,000
350,000
365,000

Non-bearing
N/A
45,000
N/A
65,000
N/A
65,000
N/A
75,000

Total
N/A
325,000
N/A
365,000
N/A
400,000
N/A
440,000

1/

Reported data with an allowance for incompleteness.
Beginning with 2003, acreage survey conducted every
other year.
N/A Not available.
2/

Of the walnut acreage reported, Chandler continues as the
leading variety with 133,609 bearing acres. Tulare overtook
Hartley for second place with 29,331 bearing acres.
San Joaquin County shows the largest acreage with 14
percent of the total, followed by Butte with 13 percent and
Tulare with 10 percent each.

OBJECTIVES
The Pacific Regional Office of the USDA’s National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts an acreage
survey of California walnut growers. The purpose of this
survey is to provide walnut acreage information on new
plantings and removals. It is a continuation of a long series
of industry-funded walnut acreage surveys.
This report consists of two parts:
 Estimated walnut acreage -- bearing, non-bearing, and
total.

With perfect information, the estimated walnut acreage and
the detailed data would be the same. However, differences
exist for the following reasons:
 A voluntary survey of approximately 4,900 walnut
growers is unlikely to ever attain 100 percent
completeness.
 It is difficult for USDA, NASS to detect growers that are
planting walnuts for the first time.
 The detailed data reflects tree removals from over 15,000
acres during the past two years. Of this number, some
acreage was harvested in 2019 prior to being pulled out,
and that acreage has already been removed from the
detailed data.

PROCEDURES
The major source of the walnut detailed data was a
questionnaire mailed to all walnut growers included in the
NASS database. The mailing was made to approximately
4,900 walnut growers in early November. The questionnaire
contained previously reported crop, variety, and acreage
information preprinted. Producers were asked to update the
information with new plantings, removals, and any other
corrections; new growers were mailed a blank questionnaire.
Producers were given six weeks to respond by mail. A
telephone follow-up was then undertaken.
To arrive at the estimated walnut acreage, the NASS walnut
acreage database was compared with pesticide application
data maintained by County Agricultural Commissioners and
the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. In
addition, NASS looked at data collected on the Walnut
Nursery Sales Survey.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The USDA, NASS, Pacific Regional Office sincerely
appreciates the many farm operators, owners, and
management firms for providing the information. A special
thanks goes to the California Walnut Board for providing
funding and support of this special acreage update survey.

 Detailed data by variety, year planted, and county – as
voluntarily reported by walnut growers and maintained
in the NASS database.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

2019 WALNUT ACREAGE BY COUNTY, BY YEAR PLANTED 1/
County

Amador
Butte
Calaveras
Colusa
Contra Costa
El Dorado

2007
and
earlier

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Acres standing in 2019
NonBearing
Total
bearing

2019

278

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

278

0

278

23,136

727

1,550

2,272

1,194

1,591

2,105

1,148

1,522

677

372

216

438

34,796

2,152

36,948

698

0

33

4

0

1

0

0

4

0

2

0

13

740

15

755

4,538

309

734

482

531

923

551

484

421

583

272

64

505

8,962

1,433

10,396

407

11

0

0

67

0

6

1

2

4

0

0

0

493

4

498

241

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

241

0

241

Fresno

3,903

182

332

113

429

164

141

228

537

186

64

484

123

6,019

867

6,886

Glenn

11,416

734

1,041

961

963

484

1,038

1,105

519

269

207

202

220

18,251

909

19,160

Kern

245

0

0

0

39

0

0

0

504

428

0

0

0

788

428

1,216

Kings

7,798

310

306

450

291

394

315

533

686

97

91

84

53

11,069

341

11,409

Lake

3,470

15

101

27

40

23

160

65

66

23

7

48

3

3,965

82

4,047

Madera

834

20

0

25

118

50

0

137

1

118

65

0

1

1,185

184

1,369

Merced

4,404

134

243

116

401

554

191

244

254

204

54

103

19

6,527

391

6,917

Monterey

372

18

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

390

0

390

Napa

168

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

168

0

169

Placer

700

15

0

140

22

10

188

0

81

0

0

0

0

1,155

0

1,155

Sacramento

650

0

0

0

0

52

1

63

11

0

0

0

0

777

0

777

1,013

14

0

4

0

25

36

29

7

111

0

0

38

1,128

150

1,278

26,401

1,135

1,680

1,443

990

1,112

1,435

1,412

1,716

557

319

233

547

37,072

1,908

38,980

2,094

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

4

0

3

2,095

7

2,102

Santa Barbara

427

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

427

0

427

Santa Clara

291

0

13

2

2

4

0

0

6

0

0

0

0

317

1

318

Shasta

804

0

1

0

0

61

1

1

0

1

0

0

0

868

2

870

Solano

6,612

64

175

224

40

291

107

98

433

274

45

65

80

8,028

479

8,506

86

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

86

1

86

Stanislaus

15,282

1,265

691

703

643

836

1,922

924

1,064

489

249

148

479

23,253

1,439

24,692

Sutter

18,966

782

717

811

741

1,023

796

767

580

193

122

71

191

25,117

641

25,758

Tehama

13,002

630

476

1,339

746

1,023

877

1,126

976

73

461

461

1

20,185

1,006

21,192

Tulare

21,314

452

294

876

590

907

584

1,114

745

472

275

230

208

26,792

1,269

28,061

118

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

119

0

119

Yolo

7,889

401

649

672

686

227

212

330

1,230

372

154

13

0

12,167

670

12,837

Yuba

7,821

294

542

488

538

759

494

661

805

152

213

671

103

12,132

1,410

13,542

86

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

88

0

88

Total
185,462 7,513 9,576 11,150
9,071 10,515 11,158 10,469 12,170 5,284 2,977 3,094 3,023 265,677
1/ Totals may not add due to rounding.
2/ All other counties include Alameda, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Nevada, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Cruz, and Siskiyou.

15,786

281,463

San Benito
San Joaquin
San Luis Obispo

Sonoma

Ventura

All Others

Page 2 of 4

2019 California Walnut Acreage Report (Revised July 13, 2020)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

WALNUT ACREAGE AS OF 2019 - VARIETIES AND AGE GROUPS - STATE SUMMARY
ACREAGE PLANTED DURING YEARS SHOWN AND STANDING IN 2019 1/
Variety

Amigo
Antenelle
Ashley
Blackmer/Mautner/Vaughn

Acres standing in 2019

2007
and
earlier

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019
Bearing

73

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Nonbearing

73

0

Total
73

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

71

0

0

0

0

0

0

71

71

1,982

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

1,982

1

1,983

329

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

329

0

329

0

118

36

154

Carmelo

33

9

2

6

1

68

0

36

0

0

0

0

Chandler

76,670

5,189

6,901

7,290

6,568

7,897

7,445

6,788

8,863

3,456

1,801

1,928

Chico

1,447

0

1

0

9

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1,456

0

1,456

Cisco

48

1

0

0

0

0

3

0

1

0

0

0

0

52

2

54

1,808

5

14

0

4

2

3

1

4

0

1

0

0

1,836

6

1,842

Eureka
Forde

2,068 133,609

9,252 142,861

24

17

22

17

71

20

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

170

0

170

5,656

2

49

12

32

1

39

4

50

1

2

5

2

5,752

102

5,854

99

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

99

0

99

0

2

0

85

11

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

98

0

98

Gustine

87

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

87

0

87

Hartley

27,656

44

192

69

62

86

184

9

157

162

18

2

100

28,293

449

28,741

Howard

19,970

826

1,077

1,612

929

1,115

735

1,047

756

305

405

516

116

28,067

1,342

29,408

Franquette
Franquette Scharsch
Gillet

Ivanhoe

1

0

35

53

125

263

145

155

255

105

180

322

213

1,031

820

1,851

Livermore

24

0

0

0

0

0

19

5

163

70

105

104

147

43

594

637

Marchetti

205

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

205

0

205

Mayette

295

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

295

0

296

Midland

111

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

111

0

111

Nuggett

141

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

141

0

141

Paradox

99

0

0

19

19

15

56

1

1

0

0

0

0

208

2

210

Payne

3,230

26

32

4

1

0

8

0

73

2

19

0

0

3,302

93

3,396

Pedro

182

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

182

0

182

Poe

334

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

335

2

336

Serr

11,574

37

23

31

52

1

32

1

6

9

18

7

1

11,752

41

11,793

0

0

0

4

0

38

41

88

323

221

182

9

25

83

848

931

Sunland

1,183

0

20

0

0

0

2

0

0

57

0

4

0

1,205

61

1,266

Tehama

Solano

1,470

0

0

49

0

0

0

17

0

0

0

0

0

1,536

0

1,536

Trinta

88

0

7

10

0

27

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

132

0

132

Tulare

17,948

1,284

845

1,598

1,045

933

2,297

2,070

1,312

797

242

156

240

29,331

1,435

30,766

Vina

10,568

8

145

17

63

20

2

7

4

0

0

0

0

10,830

4

10,834

2,128

64

213

274

78

30

147

168

202

101

4

41

109

2,934

626

3,560

All Others

Total
185,462
7,513 9,576 11,150 9,071 10,515 11,158 10,469 12,170 5,284 2,977 3,094 3,023 265,677 15,786 281,463
1/
Totals may not add due to rounding. Shaded/bold area represents non-bearing years and includes plantings of the following: Chandler, Chico, Howard
Ivanhoe, Tulare (2016-2019); Amigo, Ashley, Cisco, Gustine, Marchetti, Nuggett, Payne, Pedro, Serr, Sunland, Tehama, Trinta, Vina (2015-2019);
Franquette, Franquette Scharsch, Mayette, Poe (2013-2019); all other varieties not specified (2014-2019).

2019 California Walnut Acreage Report (Revised July 13, 2020)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Page 3 of 4

Year

California Walnut Acreage, Production and Value, 1994-2019
Yield per
Grower return
Bearing
Non-bearing
Production
acre
per ton
Acres

Acres

1994
189,000
25,600
1995
193,000
23,300
1996
192,000
23,200
1997
193,000
20,900
1998
198,000
29,000
1999
197,000
30,000
2000
200,000
31,000
2001
204,000
29,000
2002
210,000
27,000
2003
213,000
27,000
2004
214,000
N/A
2005
215,000
26,000
2006
216,000
N/A
2007
218,000
25,000
2008
230,000
N/A
2009
240,000
28,000
2010
255,000
N/A
2011
265,000
35,000
2012
270,000
N/A
2013
280,000
45,000
2014
290,000
N/A
2015
300,000
65,000
2016
315,000
N/A
2017
335,000
65,000
2018
350,000
N/A
2019
365,000
75,000
N/A Not available.
Source: USDA, NASS, Pacific Regional Office

Page 4 of 4

Tons
232,000
234,000
208,000
269,000
227,000
283,000
239,000
305,000
282,000
326,000
325,000
355,000
346,000
328,000
436,000
437,000
504,000
461,000
497,000
492,000
571,000
606,000
689,000
630,000
679,000
653,000

Tons
1.23
1.21
1.08
1.39
1.15
1.44
1.20
1.50
1.34
1.53
1.52
1.65
1.60
1.50
1.90
1.82
1.98
1.74
1.84
1.76
1.97
2.02
2.19
1.88
1.94
1.79

Dollars
1,030.00
1,400.00
1,580.00
1,430.00
1,050.00
886.00
1,240.00
1,120.00
1,170.00
1,160.00
1,390.00
1,570.00
1,630.00
2,290.00
1,280.00
1,710.00
2,040.00
2,900.00
3,030.00
3,710.00
3,340.00
1,670.00
1,850.00
2,490.00
1,350.00
1,970.00

Total value
1,000 Dollars
238,960
327,600
328,640
384,670
238,350
250,738
296,360
341,600
329,940
378,160
451,750
557,350
563,980
751,120
558,080
747,270
1,028,160
1,336,900
1,505,910
1,825,320
1,907,140
1,012,020
1,274,650
1,568,700
916,650
1,286,410

2019 California Walnut Acreage Report (Revised July 13, 2020)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service