2016 vegetable values slide in Monterey County
The salad bowl of America got tossed in 2016.
Low prices in 2016 shaved $444 million off the value of vegetables grown in Monterey County compared with 2015.
The 2016 Monterey Country Crop report, released in June, showed value declines in eight of the county’s top 10 crops. Vegetable crop value sank 14%, from $3.26 billion in 2015 to $2.82 billion in 2016.
Low market volatility, stable production and stagnant prices contributed to the dip in vegetable sales, Eric Lauritzen, agricultural commissioner for the county, said in the report.
Head lettuce experienced a 25% drop in crop value compared with 2015, and leaf lettuce was off 10%, according to the report.
Monterey County acreage of head lettuce in 2016 was 41,460 acres, off 3% from 2015. Head lettuce prices averaged $11.53 per carton, down 22% from the 2015 average of $14.85 per carton.
Production of head lettuce was 41.5 million cartons, down 3% from 2015.
Leaf lettuce acreage was 66,121, up 2% from 2015’s acreage of 64,817 acres. The average price for leaf lettuce in 2016 was $13.07 per carton, up 4% from 2015. However, total volume of leaf lettuce was 65.9 million cartons, off 5% from 69.3 million cartons in 2015.
The report said total value of the strawberry crop in the county was $724.6 million, less than a percent down from $725 million in 2015. Acreage of strawberries was 10,029 acres, down 7% from 2015. Fresh strawberry prices, at $1,625 per ton, averaged 9% lower than 2015. However, fresh strawberry production per acre was up 18% over 2015, the report said, and total 2016 fresh strawberry production of 435,000 tons was up 10% over 2015.
Monterey County’s top 10 fresh produce crops by value in 2016 were:
- Leaf lettuce, $783 million;
- Strawberry, $724 million;
- Head lettuce, $478 million;
- Broccoli, $391 million;
- Cauliflower, $189 million;
- Celery, $161 million;
- Misc. vegetables, $158 million;
- Spinach, $132 million;
- Mushrooms, $92 million; and
- Brussels sprouts, $46 million.
