Berries and veggies shine in Santa Maria district

USDA-reported truck shipments show berries and lettuces are the big movers in California’s central coast Santa Maria district.

The combined crops of the region found higher prices last year. The USDA reported that the average price for all California central coast fresh produce items was $18.28 per carton in 2022, up from an average of $14.99 per carton in 2021 and up from $15.42 per carton in 2020.

Santa Maria volumes

Berry shipments were reported in the millions of flats for 2022, with shipments reported every month.

Santa Maria district conventional strawberry truck shipments totaled 70.7 million cartons in 2022, compared with organic strawberry shipments from the district of 8.2 million cartons, the USDA reported.

Conventional blackberry shipments from Santa Maria in 2022 totaled 3.3 million flats of 12 6-ounce cups, according to the USDA. Blackberry shipments were reported from Santa Maria for every month of 2022, with peak shipments in August, September and October, according to the USDA.

Organic blackberry shipments in 2022 were reported at 1.4 million cartons of 12 6-ounce cups.

Santa Maria district truck shipments of conventional raspberries in 2022 totaled 1.6 million cartons, compared with organic raspberry shipments of 63,575 cartons, the USDA said.

Lettuce and veggies mix

Iceberg and romaine lettuce topped production charts in Santa Maria in 2022.

Here are other crops reporting Santa Maria truck shipments in 2022:

• Conventional iceberg lettuce tallied 4.32 million cartons, with 9,429 cartons of organic iceberg lettuce reported.
• Conventional romaine lettuce totaled 1.35 million 40-pound cartons, compared with organic romaine shipments of 9,332 cartons.
• Conventional romaine hearts totaled 3.2 million cartons, compared with 326,999 cartons of organic romaine celery hearts.
• Boston conventional lettuce totaled 16,902 cartons, compared with 695,369 cartons of conventional green leaf and 217,683 cartons of conventional red leaf lettuce.
• Conventional celery totaled 3.5 million cartons, with peak supply from June through November, while organic celery shipments totaled 255,460 cartons in 2022.
• Conventional celery hearts totaled 501,707 cartons, with organic shipments of celery hearts tallied at 130,091 cartons.
• Conventional cauliflower totaled 6.1 million cartons, while organic cauliflower shipments totaled 386,611 cartons.
• Conventional Brussels sprouts totaled 984,044 25-pound cartons.
• Conventional green cabbage totaled 785,170 5-pound cartons, with shipments from every month reported.
• Conventional broccoli totaled 668,911 cartons, with organic broccoli totaling 179,563 cartons.
• Conventional crown-cut broccoli totaled 7.3 million cartons, with organic crown-cut broccoli at 10,200 cartons.
• Conventional Chinese nappa cabbage in 30-pound cartons totaled 50,707, with 229,358 50-pound cartons shipped.
• Conventional bunched spinach totaled 897,991 cartons.
• Conventional plain parsley from Santa Maria totaled 93,365 cartons, compared with 46,794 cartons of leeks/green onions, 116,549 cartons of cilantro, and conventional bok choy shipments of 31,327 50-pound cartons and 113,001 30-pound cartons.