Monterey County’s ag industry increased sales to $4.6 billion in 2022.

Much discussion this year about the state of the agriculture industry in Monterey County has been about how productivity suffered from winter storms. But the annual crop report, released Tuesday, July 25, looks back to the calendar year of 2022, when the overall output for the ag industry was good: Gross production value was $4.6 billion, an increase of $530 million, or 13 percent, compared to 2021.

Strawberries were again the top crop in Monterey County, with a value of $958.7 million. The number two and three spots were claimed by leaf lettuce and head lettuce, respectively, which each increased in value – by 13 percent and 21 percent – over the previous year.

That was despite the Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), which causes brown spots and has been partly responsible for a nationwide lettuce shortage and skyrocketing prices. “INSV continues to impact leafy greens production here locally, causing entire fields to be lost,” Monterey County Farm Bureau Executive Director Norm Groot said at a press conference on July 25 as Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo released the crop report.

Cannabis ranked third in 2021, with a higher value than head lettuce; in 2022, it fell to fifth place, below broccoli, with a production value of $283.2 million, reflecting a 54-percent fall-off from the year prior. The industry has experienced a nosedive, with 32 local operators closing in the past year. But cannabis production value still exceeded wine grapes.

Grapes are another crop that was down in 2022 (to $173.8 million) from 2021. Instead of smoke and wildfires, spikes in warm summer weather and aging vines affected vineyard productivity. Despite consistency in acres planted, the value was down by over 20 percent from the year before.

Overall, while the gross value of agricultural products increased by over $500 million, the crop report – produced annually pursuant to sections 2272 and 2279 of the California Food and Agricultural Code – does not reflect cost increases growers faced. “Farmers are still continuing to face challenges to make the bottom line work,” Groot said. For example, he said fertilizer prices rose by 250 percent.

This year, the strawberry season started up to six weeks behind schedule after floods inundated the Pajaro Valley in March. Yet overall, the consumer market wasn’t impacted because of an overproduction in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.