California Strawberry Commission anticipates large crop

The California Strawberry Commission represents more than 300 strawberry farmers, shippers and processors, collaboratively working together to advance the position, principles, and market for California strawberries. Chris Christian, senior vice president of marketing for the Watsonville, CA-based CSC, is proud of the work she and her team leverage on behalf of the multi-generational legacy of the people behind their berry.

“The reputation of California strawberries has been built by the people who grow and harvest the berries,” said Christian. “About a quarter of our farmers actually started out as farmworkers and have found their path to the American Dream through the strawberry fields. They are now employers, farmers and strong contributors to the successful communities in which they farm.”

Christian and the CSC report excitement for the upcoming season. “As we head into this spring season, we’ve seen an incredible increase in demand for strawberries over the last two years,” said Christian. While the last two-years have proved to be anything but simple and straightforward for the industry, market demand for strawberries has remained strong and steady.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

“That surge in demand can in part be attributed to consumers placing a higher priority on immune-boosting produce,” she said. “Strawberries are packed-rich with vitamin C. As a fresh fruit, strawberries are also the largest and most readily available source of vitamin C on an annual basis.”

She noted that the pandemic drove an increased recognition of the importance of eating fruits and vegetables for health and well-being. “We believe that some of those habits have stuck and there is research showing that consumers are continuing to choose healthier foods for immunity support,” said Christian.

In response to that higher demand, California growers have added acreage. “Our fall planted acreage was up more than 6 percent over last year,” said Christian. “We are anticipating that our production here this spring will be higher than last year.”

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

Last year California experienced an unusually cold start to the year resulting in lower than anticipated volume. “This year, it has been fairly warm and favorable weather, so we are seeing earlier production, and we expect to see peak production at the end of March and early April,” she said. The early peak positions California strawberries for a good run April through August, and in line for the Easter holiday bump.

The CSC is promoting its berry with a new “Love, Strawberries” campaign. “The health benefits are one thing, but strawberries create excitement, they elicit a positive emotional response when people see them in the stores and we want to connect with that,” she said. The campaign also includes outreach to local registered dietitians and offers a fully revamped set of resources detailing the myriad of health benefits provided by strawberries.

With 90 percent of the U.S. strawberry volume coming from the Golden State, the CSC is confident this promotion will continue to foster consumer fidelity, while connecting shoppers to the farmers, workers, and people behind the industry.

While this season holds a host of challenges, related to labor, logistics and inflation impacting the cost of producing strawberries and getting them to market, Christian said, “our farmers are resilient, they embrace challenges, and together we are very committed to keeping strawberries available to the marketplace.”

The News in Charts is a collection of stories from the industry complemented by charts from Agronometrics to help better tell their story.

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