Monterey County agricultural products hit record $3.8 billion
Monterey County agricultural products hit record $3.8 billion
Monterey County's farm-gate value of its agricultural products, which is the equivalent of overall gross values, jumped to $3.8 billion in 2007 -- an increase of 9.5 percent over 2006 as detailed in the Monterey County Crop Report 2007 released Tuesday, June 3.
The crop report is compiled by the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner's Office. The $3.8 billion total is the highest farm-gate value the county has ever achieved and the sixth time the county has exceeded $3 billion in gross production value.
The increase is attributable to higher values for strawberries, Iceberg lettuce, wine grapes, broccoli, carrots, spinach and a variety of other vegetable crops. The largest increase achieved was in the value for the strawberry crop, which increased by 38 percent, or $165 million, due to increased acreage, good production and higher prices. For the second time, strawberries surpassed Iceberg lettuce to become the county's second-largest crop.
Strawberries and wine grapes combined accounted for well over half of the county's gross-value increase in 2007.
Carolyn O'Donnell, issues and food-safety manager for the California Strawberry Commission, said that in 2007, great weather contributed to Monterey County's strong strawberry production. Consumer demand had strawberries "flying off the shelves," she said.
The Watsonville-Salinas area is the most productive strawberry-growing area in the nation. Production in Salinas counts toward Monterey County's farm- gate totals; production in nearby Watsonville counts toward Santa Cruz County's farm-gate totals.
Iceberg lettuce, for many years the county's No. 1 crop, posted a 15 percent increase of $65 million. Leaf lettuce declined slightly but still held the No. 1 position it has held since 2002.
Rounding out the top 10 crops, in order, were nursery, broccoli, wine grapes, spring mix, spinach, miscellaneous vegetables and celery. Miscellaneous vegetables include arugula, beans, beets, broccolini, garlic and many more vegetables that individually would not rank high in production values in the county.
Spinach gained $17 million in 2007 following its $77 million decline in 2006, the year of the E. coli outbreak in spinach. For 2007, salad products, cauliflower and artichokes held the 11th, 12th and 13th positions, respectively.
Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Eric Lauritzen said that while the report doesn't reflect grower-shippers' "skyrocketing" costs, it "speaks to the value, diversity and resilience" of the fresh produce industry in Monterey County. He said that the Salinas Valley is "the nation's leader in so many things" within vegetable production.
Monterey County ranks third in agricultural production in California behind Fresno and Tulare counties, respectively.
The crop report is compiled by the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner's Office. The $3.8 billion total is the highest farm-gate value the county has ever achieved and the sixth time the county has exceeded $3 billion in gross production value.
The increase is attributable to higher values for strawberries, Iceberg lettuce, wine grapes, broccoli, carrots, spinach and a variety of other vegetable crops. The largest increase achieved was in the value for the strawberry crop, which increased by 38 percent, or $165 million, due to increased acreage, good production and higher prices. For the second time, strawberries surpassed Iceberg lettuce to become the county's second-largest crop.
Strawberries and wine grapes combined accounted for well over half of the county's gross-value increase in 2007.
Carolyn O'Donnell, issues and food-safety manager for the California Strawberry Commission, said that in 2007, great weather contributed to Monterey County's strong strawberry production. Consumer demand had strawberries "flying off the shelves," she said.
The Watsonville-Salinas area is the most productive strawberry-growing area in the nation. Production in Salinas counts toward Monterey County's farm- gate totals; production in nearby Watsonville counts toward Santa Cruz County's farm-gate totals.
Iceberg lettuce, for many years the county's No. 1 crop, posted a 15 percent increase of $65 million. Leaf lettuce declined slightly but still held the No. 1 position it has held since 2002.
Rounding out the top 10 crops, in order, were nursery, broccoli, wine grapes, spring mix, spinach, miscellaneous vegetables and celery. Miscellaneous vegetables include arugula, beans, beets, broccolini, garlic and many more vegetables that individually would not rank high in production values in the county.
Spinach gained $17 million in 2007 following its $77 million decline in 2006, the year of the E. coli outbreak in spinach. For 2007, salad products, cauliflower and artichokes held the 11th, 12th and 13th positions, respectively.
Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Eric Lauritzen said that while the report doesn't reflect grower-shippers' "skyrocketing" costs, it "speaks to the value, diversity and resilience" of the fresh produce industry in Monterey County. He said that the Salinas Valley is "the nation's leader in so many things" within vegetable production.
Monterey County ranks third in agricultural production in California behind Fresno and Tulare counties, respectively.
