County’s ’96 Harvest Wilts Compared to Bumper ’95

Despite pests nibbling profits of avocado growers and a wilted celery market, Ventura County’s agriculture industry remained relatively healthy last year as the area’s No. 1 industry and economic engine, officials reported.

Last year’s crops brought in a respectable $852 million, down from an all-time high of $922 million the previous year.

“When you talk value per acre, we’re still No. 1 in the state,” said county Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail.

Lemons remained the county’s top crop in 1996, with gross sales increasing by $4 million to $201 million, according to the annual county agriculture report released Monday.

Strawberries, the No. 2 crop, dropped $7 million after some retailers refused to stock fresh California fruit because they mistakenly feared the berries were linked to a virus that causes intestinal flu. Statewide, strawberry growers lost an estimated $20 million in sales.

But celery, the county’s fourth-highest-grossing crop, suffered the largest drop in production, plummeting $52 million. The loss was largely attributed to a poor market, agricultural officials said.

Avocado growers were hit hard as well by low yields, with sales falling $28 million from the previous year. There were only 2.9 tons of avocados produced per acre in 1996, compared to 3.64 tons in 1995.

Making matters worse for growers is the ongoing battle with the persea mite, a pest that feeds on avocado leaves, and avocado thrisps, which eat the small developing fruit.

Even with last year’s setbacks, however, agriculture officials said they are pleased with the crop report and that long-term growth trends should not be lost on single-year performances.

“The report needs to be put in the proper perspective,” said Rex Laird, executive director of the Ventura County Farm Bureau. “It shows the cyclical nature of agriculture. Not every year is going to be a banner year.”

One of the biggest increases in sales last year was in nursery stocks, which include fruit and nut trees, potted plants and herbal perennials. Gross sales jumped from $75 million in 1995 to $89 million last year.

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Meanwhile, tomato sales increased by $8 million last year, bumping peppers off the list of the county’s top 10 crops. Officials attributed the jump primarily to an increase in greenhouse tomato operations.

The report also showed a continued decline in the livestock and poultry sector, said Kerry Bustamante, deputy agricultural commissioner.

She attributed the steady drop to the closing of Egg City poultry operations in Moorpark. The former chicken ranch accounted for the majority of the $60 million in gross livestock and poultry revenues in 1992. Those revenues fell to $8 million last year.

About 3,000 growers operate in Ventura County, overseeing about 300,000 acres of agricultural land, including 100,000 irrigated acres.

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Rainfall was good for growers in 1996, and there were no catastrophic weather events locally, McPhail said.

“It’s just an absolutely fabulous place to grow crops,” he said.

But the favorable growing climate was not enough to maintain crop values at their 1995 levels.

“It could have been worse,” McPhail said. “It would have been nice to be the same as or a little bit better than ’95.”

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Top Crops in 1996

Crop: Gross value

Lemons: $201,365,000

Strawberries: $142,043,000

Nursery stock: $89,468,000

Celery: $87,973,000

Avocados: $59,600,000

Valencia oranges: $38,291,000

Cut flowers: $34,655,000

Lettuce: $25,602,000

Broccoli: $17,913,000

Tomatoes: $13,582,000

Source: County Agriculture Commission

Annual Harvests

The value of Ventura County’s agricultural harvest from 1986 through this year:

(Year: Amount)

1996: $851,931,000

1995: $921,818,000

1994: $851,983,000

1993: $848,100,000

1992: $725,460,000

1991: $909,906,000

1990: $852,616,000

1989: $805,977,000

1988: $785,860,000

1987: $669,273,000

1986: $613,030,000

Source: County Agriculture Commission