Indoor flowers boost San Mateo County’s agriculture value

The value of agricultural commodities produced in the county is a gross value and does not account for labor and other production-related costs, according to the report.

“What most people don’t know is that indoor flowers and potted plants are our top crop in terms of value,” said Agricultural Commissioner Fred Crowder in a press release. “The coast’s ‘Goldilocks’ weather — not too hot, not too cold — make it ideal for greenhouse growers.”

Because global competition has reduced sales and growers have increased the land they dedicate to vegetables, outdoor floral and nursery crops dropped 5.6% in 2018. Acreage dedicated to outdoor-grown cut flowers like dahlias and stock was cut by nearly 25% last year, which was offset by an uptick in the total value of nursery stock grown outdoors such as shrubs and trees, according to the report.

Because more timber was harvested last year and its price rose, the value of forest products increased from $3.7 million to $5 million. The county’s fruit and nut crops — which include red and white wine grapes as well as apples, berries, chestnuts and pears — accounted for more than $3.4 million in total value, up by more than 11% over its value in 2017. Acreage for white wine grapes dipped slightly, while red wine grapes and other fruit and nuts increased moderately in value and acreage, according to the report.

With a total value of $3.2 million, livestock remained stable in 2018 as compared with the prior year, and were primarily cattle but also included goats, lambs, pigs and poultry. Livestock products — which include honey, beeswax, eggs, cheese and wool — reached nearly $1.3 million and was also relatively stable as compared to last year, according to the report.

Up 4.5% from 2017, the value of field crops reached nearly $1.5 million in 2018. Though most field crop commodities, such as beans and hay, remained stable as compared to the prior year, the per-unit value of grains like barley, oats, quinoa and rye was half that of the previous year, even though acreage and yield increased, according to the report.

The county’s Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures also reported making 23,987 inspections of parcel carriers, 2,528 inspections of air shipments and more than 2,000 inspections of nursery stock, among others, with the goal of preventing damaging pests from entering the county. Conducted at parcel facilities, the San Francisco International Airport and other entry points, the inspections intercepted pests such as the boxwood scale, aphids and various species of mealybugs, according to the report.

The department’s biologists also issue phytosanitary certificates for the entry of regulated agricultural products into 16 states and U.S. territories as well as 23 countries last year, including Canada, Lebanon and Singapore, among others. Commodities passing through the San Francisco International Airport, the Golden Gate Produce Terminal and nearby ports are inspected and certified by the department before they are shipped to their destinations, 47.8% of which were in the continental United States last year, according to the report.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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