New York farmers produced 3.2 million pounds of strawberries in 2012, down 11 percent from 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) New York field office reported today.
The value of the state’s strawberry crop totaled an estimated $6.9 million last year, down 19 percent from $8.5 million in 2011. New York ranks eighth in the U.S. in strawberry production, the field office said.
Nationally, strawberry production totaled 3.01 billion pounds, up 4 percent from 2011, according to the USDA.
New York blueberry farmers posted a 5 percent increase in production in 2012 to 2 million pounds. The 2012 crop was valued at $3.89 million, down 2 percent from $3.96 million in 2011, according to the state field office.
U.S. blueberry production increased an estimated 7 percent to 473 million pounds, the USDA reported.
Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com