California’s strawberry production is off to a slow start this year after recent cold weather and rain damaged some of the state’s crops.
Southern California’s total strawberry production as of April 14 was down 6 percent from the same time last year, according to shipment data compiled by the California Strawberry Commission, and down nearly 14 percent from 2016. Santa Maria’s production was down by 28 percent from 2017, and roughly 41 percent from 2016.
While California saw very little rain in 2016, causing an early production season, near freezing temperatures and subsequent heavy rains damaged many of this season’s strawberry crops and slowed production, according to California Strawberry Commission Communications Director Carolyn O’Donnell.
“As farmers like to tell me, it’s winter,” O’Donnell told the Sun, adding that farmers typically expect slow production this time of year.
But O’Donnell said the low production portion of 2018 is coming to an end, and several areas of the state, including Oxnard and Santa Maria, are headed for peak strawberry season.
“So here come the strawberries, basically,” O’Donnell said.
This article appears in Apr 19-26, 2018.