Torrential rain and snow have lately hosed through the central California strawberry belt and created market shortage amid high demand.
Some key producers in Santa Maria in central California such as Markon Cooperative sent advisories of harvest disruptions by rain.
The cooperative cited over 2 inches of rain in northern Santa Barbara, which effectively postponed picking schedule until February 19.
Neither have southern and northern California been spared for both experienced mudslides and 60mph winds from February 11.
Current Strawberry Market Report
Weather has confounded the start of the southern harvest, which usually finds demand exceeding supply, hence the currently strong prices.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its market report of February 20, 2025 put supplies as moderate with supplementation from Mexico.
At the Los Angeles produce terminal, strawberries were selling in 8 1-pound boxes at between $26 and 28. This indicates a per-pound value of between $3.2 and 3.5.
Santa Maria was in the $26-28 range while Oxnard in Ventura County, southern California, was in the $29-30 range.
Mexico’s supplies are currently more affordable than local ones, for they range from $18 and 26 per 8 1-pound boxes.
Only the sovereign Baja district in Mexico is in the U.S.’ range of $26 and 28, due to fair quality fruits.
Southern and central California command a January-September strawberry harvest while the main state season runs April through October. This is why in the early parts of the year prices tend to be strong, especially when foul late winter weather enjoins. To learn more on the Golden State’s strawberry sector, read on the next statistics.
California Strawberry Statistics
California perenially leads national strawberry production with over 945.7 million kg per year, as of 2022. The state exported 274.9 million kg or 13.2% of 2022’s production to 30 destinations abroad.
What is the history of California’s strawberry production?
Since the start of the 20th century, California has been producing strawberries. By 1926, Los Angeles and Orange County were accounting for 40% of the state’s strawberry area. Central California in the Bay area occupied 25% of acreage while Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys represented 19 and 12%, respectively. With this representative acreage, production shot up from 7% of federal production in the 1930s to over 90% in the 2020s.
Which areas were leading CA’s strawberry acreage by 2012?
Ventura county in southern California and Monterey county on the central coast were occupying over 60% of the state’s strawberry area by 2012. Central California’s Santa Barbara and other counties such as San Joaquin in turn occupied 40% of the total area.
Which counties lead strawberry acreage in the early 2020s?
By 2023, Santa Maria in northern Santa Barbara boasted 4,260 hectares or 42% of statewide acreage. South of it on the central coast is Oxnard district, with 2,549 ha for the September-November 2023 planting season.