Fresh market vegetable and melon production for the 24 selected crops estimated in 2014 totaled 413 million hundredweight for the U.S., down 1 percent from last year. For the 24 selected vegetables and melons estimated in 2014, California continued to be the leading fresh market State, accounting for 47 percent of the harvested area, 52 percent of production, and 60 percent of the value.
Harvested area covered 1.58 million acres in the nation, down 3 percent from 2013. Value of the 2014 crop is estimated at $10.9 billion for the U.S., down 5 percent from a year ago. The three largest crops across the nation, in terms of production, were onions, head lettuce, and watermelons, which combined to account for 36 percent of the total production. Tomatoes, head lettuce, and onions claim the highest values in the U.S., accounting for 29 percent of the total value when combined.
In 2014, the Nation’s utilized production of the leading noncitrus fruit crops totaled 18.9 million tons, down 3 percent from the 2013 utilized production. Utilized production decreased from 2013 for Oregon cultivated blackberries, grapes, tart cherries, cranberries, California figs, California kiwifruit, California olives, peaches, pears, and strawberries. Utilized production increased from 2013 for apples, apricots, cultivated blueberries, Maine wild blueberries, boysenberries, sweet cherries, California dates, nectarines, California plums, California prunes, and prunes and plums.
The value of utilized production for 2014 noncitrus fruit crops totaled $16.2 billion, up 1 percent from 2013. The value of utilized production for apricots is up 17 percent, Oregon cultivated blackberries increased 2 percent, black raspberries are up 2 percent, grapes increased by 9 percent, cultivated blueberries are up 11 percent, boysenberries are up 21 percent, sweet cherries are up 4 percent, tart cherries increased 1 percent, California dates are up 14 percent, nectarines increased 49 percent, peaches increased 13 percent, pears are up 6 percent, California plums increased 87 percent, California prunes are up 23 percent, prunes and plums are up 20 percent, and strawberries are 10 percent above last year. However, the value of utilized production for apples decreased 5 percent, cranberries are down 7 percent, California figs decreased 5 percent, grapes are down 6 percent, California olives decreased 51 percent, and Maine wild blueberries are down 4 percent from the previous year.
For a full copy of the Vegetables 2014 Summary, or the Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2014 Preliminary Summary, visit www.nass.usda.gov