Crops Again Top $1 Billion

For the second year in a row, Ventura County agriculture production topped the $1-billion mark last year--maintaining the county’s position as one of the top farm regions in the state.

The total crop income bucked a trend toward lower crop values elsewhere in the state, a phenomenon attributed to the county’s reliance on high-value cash crops.

Lemons regained their status as the county’s top crop with a value of $187 million, fending off a strong challenge from the area’s rapidly expanding strawberry industry, according to the county’s 2000 crop report released Tuesday.

It was a sweet victory for county citrus farmers, beaten out by strawberry growers in the previous year. Prior to that, lemons had dominated local crops for more than half a century.

Both crops lost value in 2000, however, reflecting a $12-million slide in the county’s overall value for everything from fruits and nuts to nursery stock.

Still, officials said, Ventura County probably will move up a spot, to ninth place, on the list of California’s top agriculture-producing counties.

“That’s the highest we’ve been in the 22 years I’ve been here,” Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail said. “Obviously we’re down a little bit, but our down is a lot less, percentage-wise, than some of the other areas of the state.”

That downward trend has plenty of growers nervous.

The value of county-grown strawberries dropped more than $34 million, to $186.6 million, in 2000 as expanded acreage drove down prices and late-season showers rendered a good portion of the crop unmarketable.

Valencia oranges continued a decades-long decline, as values plummeted more than 300%, to $16.1 million, in 2000. The crop, which was the second-most valuable in Ventura County 30 years ago, ranked ninth last year.

Even in the lemon industry, farmers are keeping a wary eye on the future.

Veteran rancher Link Leavens, who manages 700 acres of lemons and avocados around Ventura, Santa Paula and Moorpark, said it is important to understand that the crop value represents gross sales and not net return to growers.

And while the value of lemons remains relatively high, he said rising production costs and increased foreign competition are eating at the industry’s bottom line.

Last year’s federal decision to allow Argentine lemons into the United States serves as a case in point, he said.

“Even though lemons have been pretty constant, there is no doubt that we are in a downward decline.” Leavens said. “This situation with the imports is hitting us right between the eyes.”

Not every crop is on the decline.

The county’s celery production increased nearly 50% in value from 1999 to 2000, generating $165 million last year. Avocados, nursery stock and cut flowers also experienced significant gains during that period.

In fact, 22 crops broke the $1-million mark for sales in 2000, including such niche produce as kale, parsley and cilantro. But even among cilantro growers, whose sales topped $7 million, there is much grumbling about small profits and big competition.

“Last year was a very bad year and this year is bad too,” said Santa Paula farmer Francisco Gonsalez, who started growing cilantro a decade ago in the Santa Clara Valley when few others were doing so.

“Everybody is growing it now; there’s no profit there anymore,” he said. “That’s why I always try to grow something new. By the time [other growers] figure out what I’m doing, I’ve already got the market.”

Even for those growers fighting long odds to stay competitive, McPhail said there are positive signs.

He noted an effort underway by local growers and researchers to rescue the orange industry, long in decline. A task force, organized by the University of California cooperative extension, has been meeting to explore ways to increase the size and value of the county’s orange crop.

Judging by the growing number of inspections his office is doing on shipments headed overseas, McPhail said it appears new foreign markets are starting to open up for such crops as avocados and lemons.

“Agriculture is a continually evolving business,” McPhail said. “But there are also certain crops that will be able to sustain themselves. Those kinds of crops can hang in there for a long time.”

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Top 10 Ventura County Crops

The total value of Ventura County’s crops surpassed $1 billion for the second year in a row, with lemons regaining their status as Ventura County’s top crop after a challenge from the expanding strawberry industry. Individual crop values, in the millions, are:

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Rank Crop 2000 value 1999 value (in millions) (in millions) 1. Lemons $187.1 $201.6 2. Strawberries 186.6 220.7 3. Celery 165.5 113.2 4. Nursery stock 155.4 139.0 5. Avocados 73.1 63.3 6. Cut flowers 48.7 41.6 7. Tomatoes 31.7 31.7 8. Peppers 26.9 31.7 9. Valencia oranges 16.1 70.7 10. Lettuce 15.6 16.4 Overall crop value $1,047 $1,069

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Source: Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner