All signs point to profitable winter

Yuma County's title as the salad bowl of the nation remains secure.

Three weeks into this year's winter vegetable season, area fields are teeming with crews planting, thinning and harvesting lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, celery and other vegetables destined for markets across the nation and around the world.

And so far, it's been a good season, welcome news after several years of poor markets and declining demand, said Kurt Nolte, director of the Yuma County Cooperative Extension.

"We've not seen a market like this since the winter of 2002 when lettuce prices skyrocketed," he said.

The current price of iceberg lettuce produced in the Yuma area ranges from $30 to $32 per carton, he said. "I hope it sticks."

There have been years when growers were lucky to recover their production costs, he said.

Current market conditions "are like a perfect storm for Yuma," Nolte said. Supply is down because adverse weather in California shortened the fall season there. Meanwhile, demand is up because of warmer than usual weather on the East Coast with no blizzards in New York which has people there still hitting salad bars.

Because of the good market, Nolte said, some growers are even considering increasing their acreage after cutting back the last few years.

"This is all very good news for growers and the economy," he said. "If agriculture does well, Yuma's economy tends to follow. Increased acreage means more jobs and more purchases of fertilizer and services. Growers may buy more trucks. Families will be able to go shopping and eat out."

Another economic impact comes from the thousands of semi-trucks that pass through Yuma during the winter to distribute the crops to markets around the U.S. and Canada, he said, estimating that "roughly" 1,000 trucks leave Yuma every day during the produce season.

"They buy diesel and food," he said of the truckers. "They may need tires or repairs. They may rent a hotel room."

Nolte noted that agriculture accounts for more than 50 percent of the Yuma-area economy. Value of the crops is estimated to be worth about $960 million, with two-thirds of that for vegetables.

But that number doesn't include value added. Therefore, he said, a truer value to the local economy is $3 billion.

Not only is agriculture - and in particular the produce industry - good for Yuma County, it's also good for the state, Nolte said.

One-third of the economic impact of agriculture for the state comes from Yuma County, he said. Arizona is the second leading producer of lettuce in the U.S. and the bulk of that is in the Yuma area.

"This time of year, we are No. 1," he said. "Yuma and Imperial remain the winter capital for winter vegetables."

Of the crops, iceberg lettuce remains the leader with about 50,000 acres, Nolte said. But romaine lettuce is quickly closing the gap with a current 45,000 acres. He attributes romaine's increasing popularity to its greater nutritional value and better flavor and texture.

"Twenty years ago, iceberg would have been far higher," he said. "Now they're almost equal."

Broccoli is still a strong crop, Nolte said, with about 30,000 acres last winter while there was approximately 15,000 acres of cauliflower. Leaf lettuces account for about 10,000 acres while baby leaf production occupies approximately 20,000 acres. Spinach takes another 7,000 to 10,000 acres.

A growing crop here is celery as land on the coast of California becomes less available and more pricey, Nolte said. He estimated that currently there's about 4,000 acres of celery here in comparison to five years ago when it was hard to find a field of the crop.

Organic production also is up a little from five years ago, he said. "We have 5,000 to 6,000 acres now. We could produce more, but the market doesn't demand it."

Other vegetable crops include bok choy, cabbage and other specialty crops, he said.

"What is grown is driven by demand," he said. "If the demand is there, the growers will grow it."

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.