Stephen Reiners, Associate Professor, Horticulture, Cornell University, passes along his annual report on New York’s vegetable sales based on statistics from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
For the first time in New York, the farm gate value of a single vegetable, cabbage, exceeded $100 million. The farm gate value of New York vegetables was the highest ever, with an estimate of close to $530 million.
Acreage of fresh market vegetables held steady in 2012 and the increase in value was due to both a relatively large increase in average yield for most crops along with prices that were slightly higher than 2011. 2012 was, for the most part, hot and dry, and growers were forced to irrigate through much of the season. Though adding to costs, growers who could irrigate saw the benefit in terms of yield increases.