The 2024 crop report places strawberries as the top crop and wine grapes on the decline.

It was the year of the strawberry, according to Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo, who kicked off a meeting Tuesday, July 1, to announce findings from the 2024 annual crop report. The report revealed a gross production value of $4.99 billion, with strawberries in the lead at $1 billion – a 15 percent increase for the crop from 2023.

“That’s quite an amazing historical achievement for our county,” Hidalgo said.

Leaf lettuces followed closely behind with a value of $933 million, then head lettuce at $596 million, broccoli at $578 million and cauliflower at $228 million, rounding out the top five commodities of the year.

More than 100 different commodities are grown in Monterey County, supported by over 60,000 skilled agricultural workers. Hidalgo said 2024 was a relatively good year in terms of weather, back on track after the prior year’s disastrous floods, which contributed to increased production.

Wine grapes, however, took a hit as a result of a saturated marketplace with lagging demand leading to a decline in value of about 22% – from $194 million in 2023 to $152 million in 2024.

These numbers don’t reflect the rising costs growers face, like labor, cooling and storage, and increased regulatory expenses related to food safety and water quality. The costs of inputs continue to rise faster than market pricing, said Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, and that uncertainty around tariffs and immigration enforcement adds to the pressure.

“Overall, while these numbers are positive, local farmers have many challenges that will ultimately change the way that we do things here,” Groot said.