Rain Makes Growers’ Year Berry Poor : Agriculture: More acres of usually profitable strawberries were planted this year, but storms and mold hurt the crop.
ANAHEIM — The adage that rain is good for farmers didn’t hold true for Southern California’s strawberry growers this season.
As the harvest draws to a close this month and next for most growers, the crop is down 22% in the Southland and 36% in Orange County.
After six years of drought, the rain was welcome for other crops, but it came at the wrong time for berries. In February, storms knocked the blossoms off flowering plants. And rains in late March and April, usually the peak of production for Southern California growers, caused the berries to mold.
“It’s been my worst year,†said Hiroshi Fujishige, 69, whose family has been farming since he was a boy. His 58-acre plot is near Disneyland.
Because each berry had to be checked carefully for signs of mold, Fujishige said, the harvest was time-consuming and expensive.
Matthew Kawamura, vice president of sales for Western Marketing in Fullerton, said berries that looked firm often molded by the time they reached their destination and were returned. The company ships berries for itself and other Orange County growers.
His business in fresh berries is off 40% this year, Kawamura said. He has plowed under his fields to make room for other crops, such as celery, but other farmers are still harvesting berries to freeze or sell locally. Some may be picking into August.
Consumers probably did not notice any shortage of berries this year, however. Northern California growers--in Santa Maria, Monterey and the San Joaquin Valley--had a near-record year, according to the California Strawberry Advisory Board. The trade group is projecting a crop of 80 million trays statewide this year, down just 9% from last year’s 88 million. Each tray holds a dozen pint containers.
During most years, California’s warm, dry climate is perfect for growing strawberries, making the state the leading producer in the nation. Next is Florida, which shipped 5.5 million trays to market in 1991. A few other states grow strawberries but sell them locally.
This year, strong production in Northern California held down prices statewide, making the season even worse for southern growers, said Bill Deardorff, who is in charge of sales for Deardorff Jackson Inc., an Oxnard-based shipper.
Growers were paid about $6 during the 1991 season for each tray of strawberries. This year, he estimated, the average has dropped to between $5 and $5.25.
Deardorff said he lost money this year but did well enough last year to carry him through. He noted that strawberries were so profitable in 1991 that growers apparently decided to plant more of them this year: 1,800 acres in Orange and Los Angeles counties, up from 1,700 acres last year.
“I don’t think you’ll see that again next year,†Deardorff said.
O.C.’s Strawberry Jam Though strawberry production in Orange County was up nearly 30% last year, it is off by more than a third during the first six months of this year. Statewide, the picture is just the opposite: Production is up nearly 11%.
Orange County* Harvest in millions of trays 1988: 10.1 ‘89: 6.3 ‘90: 6.8 ‘91: 8.8
As of June 13 ‘91: 5.6 ‘92: 3.6 * Includes a small portion of Los Angeles County
California Harvest in millions of trays 1988: 70 ‘89: 70 ‘90: 76 ‘91: 88
As of June 13 ‘91: 42 ‘92: 45 Note: A tray holds a dozen pint baskets More Plants, Less Fruit For the first six months of this year, Orange County--as well as the rest of Southern California--has had more strawberry acreage but has produced fewer berries.
Harvest as of June 24 in millions of trays Watsonville-Salinas
Production Acreage 1991 13.8 8,600 1992 18.9 9,000
Santa Maria
Production Acreage 1991 8.1 5,500 1992 0.2 6,000
Oxnard
Production Acreage 1991 13.5 4,400 1992 11.0 5,000
Orange County
Production Acreage 1991 5.7 1,700 1992 3.6 1,800
San Diego
Production Acreage 1991 1.0 377 1992 0.8 492
Top Crops Strawberries were the second-largest money-making crop in Orange County last year. In millions of dollars
Top Crops Nursery stock $141.6 and cut flowers Strawberries 44.0 Valencia oranges 24.1 Avocados 22.5 Tomatoes 15.4 Peppers, bell 10.5 and miscellaneous Green beans 7.2 Squash 5.1 Celery 4.8 Cabbage 4.0
Sources: California Strawberry Advisory Board, Federal-State Market News, Orange County Agricultural Commissioner
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