NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

Warren Bendixen, Strawberries/Soils and Water Farm Advisor

From our Central Coast Agriculture Highlights newsletter -- February 2000 issue:

STRAWBERRY TRENDS IN 2000

Santa Maria strawberry acreage increased to 4,218 acres, exceeding 4,000 acres for the first time since 1996. This is a 515-acre increase over 1999. Camarosa continues to be the dominant variety with 3,237 acres (76.7%). There are 743 acres of propriety varieties grown in the district.

California’s total strawberry acreage in 2000 is up 1,736 acres (7.1%) over 1999. Camarosa has the largest acreage planted on 11,764 acres. This is 44.7% of California’s acreage.

California Acreage
District	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Orange Co./San Diego	2,495	2,381	2,820	2,543	2,465
%State	9.9%	10.6%	11.7%	10.3%	9.4%
Oxnard	5,100	5,218	5,776	6,892	7,591
%State	20.2%	23.2%	23.9%	27.2%	28.8%
Santa Maria	5,063	3,763	3,778	3,703	4,218
%State	20.1%	18.7%	15.6%	15.1%	16.0%
Watsonville/Salinas	11,712	10,446	11,058	11,108	11,444
%State	46.4%	48.4%	45.8%	45.1%	43.4%
San Joaquin	874.8	700	732	557.3	621.5
%State	3.5%	3.1%	3.0%	2.3%	2.4%
State Total	25,245	22,508	24,164	24,803	26,339

Statewide Varietal Trends
By Variety	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Camarosa	6,102	9,850	11,124	10,958	11,764
%State	24.2%	43.8%	46.0%	44.5%	44.7%
Selva	6,794	5,458	5,922	4,127	1,695
%State	26.9%	24.2%	24.5%	16.8%	6.4%
Diamante	0	0	0	999	3,114
%State	0	0	0	4.1%	11.8%
Aromas	0	0	0	528	1,815
%State	0	0	0	2.1%	6.9%
Chandler	5,438	1,065	654	550	695
%State	21.5%	4.7%	2.7%	2.6%	2.6%
Proprietary	0	0	5,452	6,699	8,901
%State	0	0	22.8%	27.2%	28.2%
Other	6,911	6,135	1,012	644	355
%State	27.4%	27.3%	4.2%	2.8%	1.3%
State Total	25,245	22,508	24,164	24,503	28,339

(Proprietary and Diamante previously included in "others" category)
Reference: California Strawberry Commission, Strawberry Review January 2000.

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