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Why San Joaquin farmers won't be changing crops despite a China trade war

Don't expect orchards to be pulled out in San Joaquin County just because of a China trade war over tariffs. Farmers are in it for the long haul.

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. — Some of California’s top crops were hit by the trade war between China and the United States, but don't expect farmers to just change crops over the tariffs.

“These China tariffs have been a bump in the road, but you don’t simply go out and start pulling out your orchards based on this particular trade scenario,” said Bruce Blodgett, executive director for the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau.

Some of the county's top crops like dairy, walnuts, almonds, and wine were hit by the tariffs. It's yet another issue that growers have seen in recent years that have included drought and invasive pests brought in from imported foods. 

While tariffs may be a "speed bump" for some, farmers are not likely to transition to other crops because of them. Generally, it's not considered easy or economical to do.

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Stuart Spencer, executive director for the Lodi Winegrape Commission, said while growers in Lodi's wine growing area are impacted by the tariffs, they are still maintaining a status quo many months into the trade war. 

“The reality is there wasn’t a great deal of wine being exported from Lodi to China, so the impact is not as great as it might be with some other products or commodities,” Spencer said.  

Some Lodi growers exporting to China may experience a lack of business due to the tariffs. However, Spencer said the amount of wine going to China was a small percentage of the overall production in their area.

One area where there was a direct impact was on wine bottles. The commission has seen prices increase on glass coming in from China, which has made some producers absorb the cost or seek alternatives.

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“Overall, most of our producers look to create a very diversified set of sales channels... if there’s a problem in any channel, the effect is not as significant,” Spencer added.

The businesses and farmers are in it for the long haul, according to Blodgett.

“When you’re driving down the road and see those orchards and those vineyards, there’s a huge investment in that property when you see those orchards and vineyards," he added. "It’s not like they can turn that thing on a dime and then cut everything out tomorrow and have it all work out.”

China is one of many markets, and, while it may be difficult to replace, people will try to find other markets and do whatever they can to market their crops.

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How well do you know what happens to food before it shows up in the supermarket? This special edition of Bartell's Backroads takes a look at just a few of the hundreds of different crops and livestock that California farmers raise to feed and clothe the Golden State... and people across the entire country.

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