Hilary Hits Ca. Table Grapes and Farm Income Expected Down in 2024

**California table grape growers in Kern and Tulare counties suffered major crop losses last month when Tropical Storm Hilary slammed vineyards near the peak of harvest.

With about a third of the crop harvested before the storm hit, California Table Grape Commission estimated the wind and rain damaged 35% of the remaining grapes.

Western Ag Crop Insurance Services says more than 60 million boxes may have been destroyed.

**The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Price Index averaged 121.4 points in August, a 2.6-point drop from July, reversing the rebound registered that month.

The August drop pushed the index 38 points lower than its peak reached in March 2022.

The overall drop was driven by declines in the index for dairy products, vegetable oils, meat, and cereals, while the sugar price index rose modestly.

**U.S. farm income will decline modestly in 2024 and then run at historically high levels in the near term, said the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute.

Although well above average, net farm income of around $140 billion annually in coming years would be a step down from last year’s record of $183 billion.

FAPRI director Pat Westhoff tells www.agriculture.com after the projected decline, the projected levels of real net farm income are still above pre-pandemic levels.

www.agriculture.com/farm-income-to-plateau-after-this-year-s-decline-says-think-tank-7968449