Bad weather and flooding affect crop yields in Monterey

July 22, 2024

According to Monterey County’s latest crop report, bad weather and flooding last year impacted crop values. The 2023 report shows a 6.1 percent decline in crop values from last year, with total production value coming in at $4.35 billion. Crop values were impacted by market demand and labor issues, but the decline was primarily due to severe flooding in January and March and below-average temperatures.

Severe flooding damaged over 20,000 acres of cropland, and cool weather in the spring and summer further delayed crop growth. “The impact of weather on commodities was mitigated to some extent by market demand for our region’s high-value crops,” Monterey County Agriculture Commissioner Juan Hidalgo said in the report.

Despite a 5.7 percent drop in value, strawberries remained the top crop at nearly $904 million, followed by lettuce and head lettuce. Overall, the value of the vegetable crop fell 7.9 percent, while fruits and nuts fell 3.5 percent. However, some perennial crops that were less affected by bad weather saw higher crop values. The value of wine grapes increased 12 percent in 2022. Seeds and livestock and poultry also saw increases in value.

Listen to the report below.