VENTURA, Calif. – The County of Ventura’s Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures presented the 2022 Crop and Livestock Report to the Board of Supervisors at the regular meeting on Tuesday, July 25. During the presentation, Agricultural Commissioner Ed Williams reported the value of crops for the county for 2022 was valued at $2,127,682,000 – an increase of 2% from 2021.
For twenty years in a row, strawberries have remained the top crop for the county. For the first time, avocados took the number two spot previously held by lemons. Williams credits prices and a production boom for a 95% increase in avocado sales. Nursery stock moved to fourth place followed by celery, raspberries, peppers, blackberries, blueberries and cabbage.
“We were dealing with some significant drought in the years leading into 2022 and 2022 saw some of the residual impacts of those drought conditions as well,” said Williams. “So, to come up with the numbers that we have, the industry has done an amazing job.”
This year, as the County of Ventura is celebrating its sesquicentennial, it seemed fitting to mark another milestone with the theme for this year’s report, ‘Over 100 Years of Crop & Livestock Reports.’ The report illustrates the history of the department’s reporting process with archived documents and photos. The report also pays tribute to Williams’ fifth and final crop report before retiring as Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer next month.
“The ag industry is still going strong,” shared Williams. “We are still the number 10 ag county in the state and number 10 in the United States for agricultural production. Ventura County ag is a major player. We are proud of ag and proud of trying to help agriculture stay strong and stay resilient into the future.”
Since 1895, under the direction of the Board of Supervisors, the Department has worked in cooperation with the California Departments of Food and Agriculture and Pesticide Regulation, agricultural community partners, residents, and others to protect and promote Ventura County’s agriculture in the areas of pesticide use enforcement, permitting, quality control, certification of exports, among others.
To read the 2022 Crop Report, please visit: https://www.ventura.org/agricultural-commissioner/crop-reports/
