-April 17,2020-
California avocado growers face quiet Cinco De Mayo this year
When is Cinco de Mayo? Just kidding.
California avocado growers know just when it is -often the kickoff event of the California crop year that extends into December.
This year with the Covid-19 crisis closing all your favorite Mexican food eateries in the Golden State growers are bracing for fewer sales as food service is larger than grocery sales, typically.
California’s avocado acreage continues to shrink to around 44,000 bearing acres this year compared to 59,000 acres ten year ago.
Harvest volume still bounces around with some years – like this one – when we get a big crop.This year’s estimate is around 369 million pounds all year vs just 216 million pounds in 18/19.
So far this calendar year California avocado harvest by pounds is way ahead of last year. In 2018/19 we shipped just 17 mil pounds by this date compared to 70 million pounds this year as of April 15.
San Luis Obispo remains the northern most production county but here too acreage has fallen off to around 4400 in 2012 to 4000 acres today.
The California Avocado Commission estimates that by 2024, California avocado production will vary between 287 and 344 million pounds annually.
Strawberry production up this year
Major strawberry regions in the Americas are providing more strawberries this year than last.
California has produced some 34.8 million trays so far this year through April 15 compared to 33.2 mil trays last year at this date.
The Santa Maria area has shipped 5.7 mil trays so far compared to 5.1 mil as of the same date in 2019.
Other growing regions including Florida are ahead this year shaping 31 mil trays vs to 24.4 mil on this date in2019.Mexico is about the same as last year.,35 million trays-the same volume as California. Figures from the National Berry Report.