Strawberries are SLO County’s No. 1 crop again. Here’s what also made the top 10
For the first time in four years, wine grapes were not San Luis Obispo County’s top crop, according to the county’s 2019 Department of Agriculture report released Wednesday, which also shows overall crop value dropped from its record high the previous year.
Instead, strawberries reclaimed the No. 1 spot, accounting for more than $271 million in value last year, or almost 28% of the local agricultural market, and $17.1 million more than all locally produced wine grapes, which still make up nearly 26% of the overall value.
The county says that despite a 5.5% decrease from the previous year, when local agriculture became a $1 billion business, 2019 still marked the second-highest annual crop value on record with a value of $979 million.
That figure represents only commodity gross values and does not reflect net profits received by local agricultural producers, nor does it include multipliers related to secondary economic benefits, a statement released by the county says.
“Due to many factors such as supply, demand and available markets, agricultural values will vary from year to year, and although we saw a slight decline in overall crop values in 2019, the agricultural industry remains a strong and vital segment of our local economy,” Martin Settevendemie, San Luis Obispo County agricultural commissioner/sealer, said in a new release.
An oversupply of wine grapes contributed partially to the decline in value, leaving some lesser quality fruit unharvested, the county said.
Cabernet sauvignon grapes remained by far the top varietal, with a value of $120.7 million. No other individual grape topped $20 million in 2019.
The prolific strawberry crop was attributed to steady acreage year over year and strong prices for both fresh and processed fruit. The vast majority of SLO County’s crop — 88 percent — are fresh berries.
Broccoli, avocados, and vegetable transplants rounded out the local top five agricultural products with a combined crop value of $122 million, or 12.5% of the overall crop value.
Vegetable transplants overtook cattle and calves as the fifth-ranked product by just $21,000. Cattle and calves value fell to $35.4 million in 2019 from $43.7 million in 2018.
The local livestock industry overall saw a 15% decrease in value ending the year at a total of just over $41 million. The county attributes that to lingering impacts of drought pushing ranchers to sell fewer cattle in an effort to rebuild herds. The total head of cattle sold during 2019 was down 18% to 36,765.
The vegetable industry ended the year with a 5% decline in value and a 7% decrease in harvested acres. Collectively, all vegetable crops account for over 22% of the county’s total crop value.
Field crops, however, ended the year with a significant 29% increase over 2018, ending the year at over $24 million.
Notably, 2019 marked the first year that industrial hemp has been included in the local crop report, following the passage of the Farm Bill in 2018, which granted farmers the ability to produce industrial hemp.
Nursery products have remained relatively stable over the past three years with growers seeking new markets, shifting production, and adapting to varying demand for cut flowers, ornamental plants and transplants. The nursery industry ended the year with a value of $80.5 million.
The report also includes information about the local commercial fishing industry, which totaled more than $6 million in value in 2019 landing 99 species out of Morro Bay and Port San Luis. The highest-value fish was chinook salmon at $2.4 million and more than 339,000 pounds.
For more information about crops in 2019, visit slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Agriculture-Weights-and-Measures.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 12:19 PM.
