Wine Grapes Down 18:
Monterey County agriculture maintained its economic clout in 2011 with crop production values that exceeded $3.85 billion, Agricultural Commissioner Eric Lauritzen announced this week as he released the annual crop report.
While gross crop values declined slightly from 2010 – about $153 million, or 3.8 percent – agricultural production remained higher than any year prior to 2009. “We expect some fluctuations in production from year to year, based on market, price, weather and other factors,” said Lauritzen. “At the same time, agriculture’s consistent standing as the number one business in Monterey County underscores its importance to our economy.”
The 2011 Monterey County Crop Report calculated total crop values of $3,853,004,200. Leaf lettuce took over the number one spot with a value of $777.4 million (a 7 percent increase), compared to $713.9 million for strawberries (down 5 percent). Other top crops included head lettuce at $454.2 million (down 11 percent), broccoli at $297.3 million (no change), and nursery production at $260.7 million (down 2 percent).
Wine grapes fell 18%, following an even larger decline the previous year. But Rhonda Motil, Executive Director of the Vintners and Growers Association, expects a turnaround in 2012, saying, “The weather was perfect, early cluster counts are up and inventories are down, which indicate a much better year ahead.”
While public attention often focuses on the county’s number one crop, Lauritzen said the top ten crops are worth more than $100 million each and together generate more than $3 billion in production. “These dollars multiply as they spread into the rest of our local economy. An economic analysis released by my office this spring shows that all of our high-value, labor-intensive crops create many jobs in the field and throughout the community,” Lauritzen said.
“The resilience of Monterey County’s agricultural sector is noteworthy,” said Jeff Langholz, who co- authored the economic study. “Even with the recent dip in production value, the overall story for the past decade is one of impressive growth.”
