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GEOGRAPHY: Yuma County, in Southwest Arizona, encompasses
5,561 square miles of desert, interrupted with rugged mountains. An abundance of arable land
in valley regions, coupled with a warm, dry climate, results in a thriving agricultural business.
There are 238,000 acres of cropland in Yuma County, about 5.5% of the county's total land area. The Colorado River
is the source of irrigation water for the Yuma Mesa and surrounding valleys. Growing crops in
Yuma County is totally dependent on irrigation, and the county's farmers and ranchers, use 920,000 acre
feet of water each year.
CLIMATE: Average length of the
growing season in Yuma County (days above 32 degrees Fahrenheit minimum) is 250 days in the valleys, to 350 days on the Yuma County
mesa. Sunshine averages 91.2% of possible time, with the average annual temperature 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Average yearly rainfall is 3.17 inches.
AGRICULTURE:
In 2002, Yuma County's 238,000 acres of farmland produced $1,303,492,000 in cash
receipts, including:
|
Lettuce, Head, Romaine,
Leaf, & Other (Spring, Fall, & Winter) |
$966,000,000 |
|
Cauliflower/Broccoli
|
$
78,000,000 |
|
Melons, Honey Dew,
Cantaloupe, & Watermelon (Fall, Spring) |
$
22,000,000 |
|
Potatoes
|
$
1,000,000 |
|
Spinach
|
$
3,100,000 |
|
Misc. Vegetables
|
$
6,500,000 |
|
Lemons |
$ 37,000,000 |
|
Tangerines
|
$ 6,800,000
|
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Livestock
|
$ 80,000,000 |
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