July 2019 - 4

EDITOR'S LETTER
The numbers don't lie
The impact of vegetable crop production
in this country remains robust.
According to the Vegetable and Pulses
Outlook published in May, the United
States produced 120.7 billion pounds
of commercial vegetables (including
mushrooms and potatoes) during 2018,
down almost 2% from 2017, with a value
of over $17.5 billion and harvested area of
about 3.8 million acres.
The three leading crops, including fresh
and processed, were potatoes (45 billion
pounds), tomatoes (28 billion pounds), and
lettuce (8 billion pounds), which combined
Gary Pullano
Managing Editor
accounted for 68% of total fresh and processed production volume.
Production value fell 12% from a year earlier due to lower production
volumes and falling prices for most fresh-market vegetables.
California leads the country in total vegetable output, accounting for
60% of total annual utilized production of all vegetables in the United
States. All tomatoes, head lettuce, and romaine lettuce claimed the
highest values of utilized production in 2018, generating $1.9 billion,
$1.2 billion, and $0.9 billion of farm value, respectively. The value of
tomatoes increased over 10% in 2018 despite a declining price level.
Head and romaine lettuce values declined by 31 and 45% respectively
in 2018 amid two foodborne illness outbreaks during the first and second
half of the year. The farm value of total U.S. utilized production fell 12%
to $12.9 billion in 2018 due to lower production and prices for numerous
fresh and processed vegetables.
Along with the general uptick, fresh-market vegetable per capita
availability did stumble in 2018. Total per capita availability of fresh
vegetables (including potatoes, sweet potatoes and mushrooms) totaled
184 pounds in 2018 - down 9% from 2017, and the largest annual
decline on record. Per capita use increased for many fresh-market crops
- asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplants, snap
beans, spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms. In contrast, availability of
artichokes, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, leafy greens, head
lettuce, romaine/ leaf lettuce, onions, squash, sweet corn, potatoes and
sweet potatoes declined.
The 2017 Agricultural Census (see story, Page 8) reveals interesting
trends for U.S. vegetables at the national level. According to census data,
the total value of vegetables grown in the United States had increased
by about 16% since the 2012 census. This continues the trend of growth
in vegetable value, which increased 15% between the 2007 and 2012
censuses.
Value increased in 2017, even as the total number of acres harvested
declined at the national level. Although production has waned, the
increased value is explained by a 24% increase in total vegetable prices
between the 2012 and 2017 censuses. Vegetables with the largest
decreases in acres harvested were sweet corn, tomatoes, peas and
green beans.
All the commodities decreased by at least 10%: sweet corn decreased
722,369 acres harvested, tomatoes decreased 596,409, peas decreased
422,092, and green beans decreased 330,463. The decrease for peas is
especially surprising, since the 2012 census reported a 200% increase in
acres harvested for that commodity from 2007.
Broccoli and turnips fell by 13.2 and 14.3%, respectively; though their
decrease in acres harvested pales in comparison to that of the previous
four commodities. Despite some vegetable acreage decreasing, acreage
increased for the majority of commodities.
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Root-knot nematodes found in 60% of
Georgia vegetable fields
A survey of 431 Georgia vegetable
fields found that more than 60%
contained root-knot nematodes, tiny
parasitic worms that feed on roots and
destroy plants.
H-2A program faces scrutiny under new
Washington state measure
The legislation ensures foreign workers
under the federal H-2A program have
the support they need on the job and
growers have the assistance they need
to utilize the H-2A program properly.
Latest trade mitigation plan seen as
'insufficient' by Western Groewrs
" It will take American farmers many
years, if ever, to recover from the lost
trade revenues and, more importantly,
lost markets that have resulted from
the continuation of trade disruptions
with China. "
Anthracnose on strawberries increasingly
problematic in Mid-Atlantic
A project is underway to better
understand which anthracnose species
are present in Mid-Atlantic strawberry
fields.
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July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2019
