San Mateo County's agricultural industry faced a crushing blow in 2022, with a 6% decrease in production value, primarily due to the influence of severe drought conditions as reported by SMCGov. While some growers and ranchers managed to adapt, switching to alternative commodities that require less water, others weren't as lucky.
Record-breaking dryness throughout 2022 heavily impacted the local crop cultivation, leading to a notable drop in production values. Agricultural Commissioner Koren Widdel mentioned in her report that, "With water in short supply, some operators switched to commodities they could dry farm, such as field crops with a 9.32% increase in gross value.", the SM Daily Journal reported.
However, the overall value of agricultural production in the county plummeted from nearly $98 million in 2021 to $92.2 million in 2022, with floral and nursery crops — the largest commodity group in the county — suffering an 8.57% drop in value, according to KRON4.
San Mateo County was not only hit by the sixth driest January since 1895 but also experienced the third driest February in the same timeframe, SMCGov highlights. This alarming reality starkly contrasts the following year with January 2023 boasting one of the wettest Januarys on record.
While not all areas of the agricultural industry were equally affected, livestock value reached a historic high of almost $6.4 million due to increased poultry sales, as reported by KRON4. Brussels sprouts remained the most valuable locally grown vegetable, though its value did decline from $8.78 million in 2021 to $8.25 million in 2022.
