Early strawberry volume from Southern California districts as of late January was running significantly ahead of a year ago when a series of rainstorms caused problems with the crop.

Boskovich Farms in Oxnard, CA, which has about a 33 percent increase in strawberry acreage this year, experienced a January production about 400 percent over last year's January volume, according to Sales Manager Russ Widerburg. "Last year, at the beginning of the winter berries here in Oxnard, it seems like every time we started to pick up volume, the rain would come and knock us down, and we would have to start over," he said. This year, "we haven't had nearly as much rain."

Even with the greater volume, markets so far have held strong, he said in late January. Lid prices on Valentine's Day promotions were generally around $14.90 on trays of one-pound clamshells.

"So far, the crop looks good," said Mark Goss of Cal-Cel Marketing Inc. in Oxnard. There were "a few weather problems" early on, including about two-and-a-half inches of rain on New Year's weekend. "We had to strip everything. But we're coming around again," he said. "There is a good set of fruit on the plants, and good flowers are coming out."

Although prices for vegetables such as celery that Cal-Cel grows in Oxnard have been low, the berries seem to have been doing pretty well, Mr. Goss said in late January. "We're basically $12 and $14" on strawberries.

"Overall, we are ahead of production" compared to last year, said John King of Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce in San Diego, with reference to the company's Baja California, Mexico production. He attributed that to unusually warm autumn and winter weather. A&W also has berries from Oxnard this year, with the addition of the Sundance Berry Farms program. In both areas, Mr. King expects good production in February and very good production in March, "because the plants are advanced for this time of the year. The plants are pushing a lot of flowers, a lot of fruit."

Frank Genji Seki, strawberry salesman at Westlake Produce Co. in Los Angeles, said that strawberry quality so far "has been real good." There were some sizing problems in the early fruit, particularly from Baja, which tended to be on small side, he said. "But it is getting better and better as we keep going."

Westlake handles strawberries year-round, drawing from all districts, but normally December and January are light months for strawberries because the volume is down. "This year, because of the warm weather we've had, we've done pretty good, even in December and January," he said.

In the southern districts, the acreage report shows that overall plantings of the Camarosa variety are down slightly this year, and plantings of the Ventana variety and proprietary varieties are up slightly, noted Ed Haft of Sunrise Growers Inc. in Placentia, CA.

So far, the 2006 season is "shaping up great," Mr. Haft said. "Growing conditions have been close to perfect for us this year."

A trend in evidence in 2004 of California's strawberry acreage moving north from the southern districts to Oxnard and Santa Maria continued in 2005. Fewer acres were planted in Orange County-San Diego and San Joaquin compared with the previous year.

According to the California Strawberry Commission's acreage survey for the 2005 season, total strawberry acres reported were 32,636 acres. The reported increase is 998 acres, or more than 3 percent more than 2004.

The Oxnard district reported a more than 9 percent acreage increase in 2005 from 2004. The Camarosa variety continues to decrease, now making up more than 15 percent of the district's acreage. This is being offset with plantings of proprietary and Ventana varieties.

Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. - based in Salinas, CA and a wholly owned subsidiary of Westlake, CA-based Dole Food Co. Inc. - is into its second year with Watsonville, CA-based Coastal Berry Co., which Dole acquired.

Dole's Southern California strawberry program has acreage growing in Oceanside and Oxnard, Riverside and Ventura counties -- including Santa Maria -- and in the desert in Coachella.

In line with the industry, Dole increased its acreage in most areas in response to increased demand, said Kevin Fiori, vice president of commodity sales.

(A full report on Southern California strawberries appears in the Feb. 13 issue of the Produce News.)