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AGENDA, REPORT and PRESS RELEASE. From the San Mateo County Supervisor’s meeting on Tuesday, August 1st, 2023 at 9:00am as a hybrid meeting.
Redwood City – Stung by drought, San Mateo County’s agricultural industry shrank by nearly 6 percent in 2022, according to a new report.
The total value of agricultural production in 2022 was about $92.2 million, down from the prior year’s nearly $98 million.
“Drought remained a factor for growers and ranchers in 2022,” Koren Widdel, the County’s Agricultural Commissioner, said in a report presented today to the Board of Supervisors. “With water in short supply, some operators switched to commodities they could dry farm, such as field crops with a 9.32 percent increase in gross value.”
Still, the increase in field crops (dry beans, grains, hay) could not offset decreases in other categories.
Floral and nursery crops account for the largest commodity group in San Mateo County. The $55.1 million production total in 2022 fell 8.57 percent from 2021’s $60.27 million.
At $20.65 million, vegetable production value fell only slightly from $21.13 million in 2021.
While the exact impacts of the drought are hard to add up, January 2022 was the sixth driest January in San Mateo County since 1895, with 0.54of an inch of rain.
February 2022 was the third driest February since 1895, with .10 of an inch of rain. (By comparison, the series of storms that began in late December 2022 brought 11.76 inches of rain in January 2023, one of the wettest Januarys on record.)
Highlights from the 2022 San Mateo County Agricultural Crop Report:
- Brussels sprouts topped the list of locally grown vegetables by value, at $8.25 million (down from $8.78 million in 2021).
- Flowering and foliage potted plants were valued at $30.2 million, down from $35.5 million in 2021.
- San Mateo County obtained a historic high in livestock total value, at nearly $6.4 million, due to poultry sale increases.
Note: Values are gross values of commodities and do not reflect production costs or profits.
Agenda
BACKGROUND:
Sections 2279 and 2272 of the California Food and Agricultural Code require that each California Agricultural Commissioner prepare an annual crop report as well as a sustainable agriculture report. The San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner issued its first crop report in 1940.
DISCUSSION:
Each county agricultural commissioner is required to annually prepare a summary of the county’s agricultural crop production as well as a sustainable agriculture report. This information is provided to the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the National Agricultural Statistics Service to track agricultural production and commodity values. Attached is the 2022 San Mateo County Agricultural Crop Report providing information on yields and values of local crops, including nursery, vegetable and field crops, livestock, dairy, and forest products, as well as the summary of sustainable agriculture information, including farmers’ markets, organic producers, and local pest management and pest exclusion programs.
2022 San Mateo County Agricultural Crop Report prepared by the Agricultural Commissioner
It is my pleasure to present the 2022 Annual Crop Report for San Mateo County pursuant to Section 2279 of the California Food and Agricultural Code. The total estimated gross value of San Mateo County agricultural production in 2022 was $92,179,000, a decrease of 5.91% from 2021. It is important to note this gross value does not represent net profit or loss, as it does not account for inputs such as labor, packaging, transportation, and other production costs.
Drought remained a factor for growers and ranchers in 2022. With water in short supply, some operators switched to commodities they could dry farm, such as Field Crops with a 9.32% increase in gross value. Bright spots in this year’s report include Livestock with a 12.29% increase and Fruit and Nut Crops with a 3.13% increase. Our largest commodity group, Floral and Nursery Crops, is down 8.57% from 2021, though still maintains the majority share of San Mateo County’s total production value.
To better understand and serve our agricultural community, we included an extra questionnaire to ask about the nature of their operations. Of the 178 surveys sent, we received 45 volunteered responses. Respondents showed 38% of operations have been in business over 41 years, with three of those over 80 years. However, a third are still new by agricultural standards, in operation under 20 years. Succession is a concern for all businesses and is especially acute in county agriculture where 72% of owner/operators reported as over the age of 55. Other nationalities identified by operators include: Mexican, Salvadoran, Italian, Australian, Honduran, English, and Pacific Islander. Of the responses received, languages spoken at operations included: English, Spanish, German, and French. This is a small snapshot of the operations in the county, which should not be used to draw up program policies. Gathering information on our differences and similarities is key to engaging and serving San Mateo County’s diverse agricultural community.
My sincere appreciation goes out to the producers that share their business information, as it gives us a true representation of the agricultural production in San Mateo County. Many staff members contribute to the crop report every year, and I would like to thank them all for a job well done. A special thanks to Michael Wong, Kelly Mayer, and Jenny Gossett for putting it all together.
Respectfully submitted, Koren J. Widdel Agricultural Commissioner Sealer of Weights and Measures.
Author: Coastside Buzz
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