Monterey County crop report: $4.82 billion in production, wine and exports down amid pest and tariff pressure

The Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner presented the 2025 crop report July 7, reporting a gross production value of $4.82 billion, down about 3% from the previous year. County Agriculture Commissioner Juan Hidalgo and Chief Deputy Tim Lewis said the decrease reflects multiple market and pest pressures, including diamondback moth impacts on broccoli and cauliflower and fluctuating international tariffs that reduced exports by roughly 25% in pounds exported.

The report highlighted continued strength in strawberries and leafy lettuce, each surpassing $1 billion in value (strawberries again and leaf lettuce for the first time). Wine grapes experienced a second consecutive decline (about 25% down from the previous year and losses of roughly 1,800 bearing acres), reflecting an oversupply and falling wine consumption globally.

The report also highlighted the county’s organic sector: about 18% of the county’s gross production value is from organic production, a figure that has doubled over the last decade. Staff discussed barriers that limit organic transitions, including land availability and the three‑year transition period when product cannot be sold as organic.

Commissioner Hidalgo noted the county’s contribution to state production (e.g., strawberries, lettuce) and said staff will continue to refine cannabis reporting and other categories to better capture the county’s full agricultural profile.

Supervisors thanked staff and raised questions about including cannabis in the main crop accounting, monitoring pesticide impacts and clarifying the full‑time equivalent agricultural worker estimates. The presentation was received for the record.