Monterey County crop values decline in 2016

UPDATE 6/27/2017 5 p.m.:

After four consecutive record breaking years, Monterey County’s crop values declined in 2016. That’s according to the Monterey County Agricultural Commission’s Office.

According to Ag Commissioner Eric Lauritzen, the 2016 crop report shows a production value of $4.25 billion for Monterey County. It’s 9.5-percent, or $449 million dollars, less than the previous year. Eight of the county’s top ten crops showed decreases from 2015 values. Lauritzen said people should not be too worried about the numbers as the overall trend continues to grow, also noting 2015 was an anomaly for the agriculture industry.

“If you look at 2015, it really was a perfect storm of good market prices across most of our core commodities,” Lauritzen said. “So I think what we saw this year, the most significant change was that it was more of a flat market, a normal market, so the numbers are down. The numbers may look grim to some, but if you look at our market trends over a long period of time, ten years or 20 years, the trend continues to be up.”

Other factors include weather and a labor shortage, something our area has dealt with for years.

Lettuce remains the county’s top crop, despite a falling value. In 2016, total lettuce crops were valued at 1,261,274,000, down from $1,506,551,000. Losses make up nearly half of this year’s decline. However lettuce, strawberries, broccoli and nurseries are still part of the area’s top multi-million dollar crops. Lauritzen said it’s interesting to note nurseries declined in 2016, in part because many greenhouses are being transitioned to medical cannabis production sites.

The wine grape industry saw a major boost, with a 28.5-percent increase. It placed sixth, jumping two spots from last year. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay continue to dominate Monterey County’s wine grape varieties. That industry in particular is worth $238 million.

Because of the soil and ocean influence, our area grows more than 50 grape varieties over 46,000 acres of land.

“It’s not only going to be Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and maybe some Cabernet and Syrah, but you’re also going to find a Viognier or a Gewurztraminer, or some of them you might even find a Gruner Veltliner,” said Kim Stemler, executive director of Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. “So you’re finding these varieties that are not widely planted but we have these really small areas that are unique for those grapes.”

Stemler said the Soberanes Fire had little impact on the industry. Some vineyards in Carmel Valley were damaged by smoke taint, which affected the taste.

“The wine grape industry is really the natural bridge between agriculture and tourism, our two largest industries,” Stemler said. “And what we see is just an enhancement of this farm to seed to table lifestyle that we have here and sharing that with all of our visitors that come in.”

As for what this year’s harvest season is looking like right now, Lauritzen said despite a later start because of rain, the markets are looking good and the production is coming in, but it’s also dependent on the weather at the end of the season.

For the full crop report click HERE

ORIGINAL POST:

After four consecutive record breaking years, Monterey County’s crop values declined in 2016. That’s according to the Monterey County Agricultural Commission’s Office.

According to Ag Commissioner Eric Lauritzen, the 2016 crop report shows a production value of $4.25 billion for Monterey County. It’s 9.5-percent or $449 million less than the previous year. Lauritzen said he was not too worried about the numbers as the overall trend continues to grow, also noting 2015 was an anomaly for the agriculture industry.

Some of the highlights of the report include leaf lettuce remaining the top crop with an estimated value of $783 million, which reflects a 10-percent decrease. Strawberry values remained number two with roughly the same values as before. Head lettuce saw a 25-percent decline but is still the area’s third highest value crop.

The wine grape industry saw a major boost, with a 28.5-percent increase.
It placed sixth, jumping two spots from last year. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay continue to dominate Monterey County’s wine grape varieties.
That industry in particular is worth $238 million.

For the full crop report click HERE

KION’s Mariana Hicks will have the story at 5 p.m.