California strawberry industry tallies storm damage
From Ventura County in Southern California, north through San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, to Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, the onslaught of rain, wind and floods is approaching $200 million in potential damages to California’s strawberry farms, according to a news release from the California Strawberry Commission.
“We were fortunate that these storms came at a time when most farms are dormant and thus farm worker jobs have had minimum impact,” California Strawberry Commission President Rick Tomlinson said in the release. “We are thankful to the farm workers who have come back to work to help with the recovery.”
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While the majority of family farmers are cleaning up minor storm damage, some farms have experienced catastrophic conditions. Erosion has washed away an estimated 350 acres. Another 1,490 acres are awaiting flood waters to recede. In total, 1,840 acres face catastrophic losses that could reach $200 million from crop, property and equipment damage, according to the release.
The California Strawberry Commission estimates that the farms at risk for catastrophic losses include:
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Santa Cruz and North Monterey counties (Pajaro River) — 573 acres
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Monterey County (Salinas River) — 467 acres
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Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties (Santa Maria River) — 500 acres
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Ventura County — 300 acres
While the economic impact is significant, most strawberry farmers experienced minor storm damage, according to the release. For the majority of the 31,852 strawberry acres in California that experienced minimal damage, the rain is a welcome change from the drought.
“The rain washes the soil and improves plant health,” Tomlinson said in the release. “As soon as we get a few weeks of sun, the strawberry plants should recover in time to start harvest in the spring. With improved soil health from the rains, we should have a good season.”
The damage estimates are preliminary, and according to the California Strawberry Commission, all farmers have been asked to report damage directly to each county.
