California produces over 90% of the nation’s strawberries. That amounts to $2.3 billion of economic value and ranking as one of the state’s top 10 crops.
With growing seasons in some parts of the state operating year-round, strawberries are fully exposed to the increased risk of extreme weather events. That means growers and agriculture companies relying on historical weather patterns alone could be missing important information for optimal management decisions.
Researchers and industry partners are developing analytical tools to help growers and companies keep their farms profitable by offering insights to help them prepare and adapt to a changing climate.
As Himanshu Gupta and Borna Poursheikhani wrote:
The past decade has brought a barrage of extreme weather patterns that have impacted strawberry yields … Adopting new tools and strategies for more resilient farming operations is essential to continue to support the level of operation needed to meet the ever-increasing need for California strawberries.
Read the full article written in partnership between ClimateAi and strawberry expert and cooperative extension adviser Dr. Surendra Dara on page 22 of the Vegetables West Magazine November/December 2019 edition, one of the vegetable/row crop industry’s top publications.
Liked this reading? Hear from a strawberry CEO about how climate change impacts his business on our podcast episode, with Gary Wishnatzki, a 3rd generation farmer. He’s also the current CEO of Wish Farms, one of the largest strawberry operations in the southeast U.S. He walks us through how the strawberry world in the southeast U.S. has changed over the past century and how Wish Farms continues to evolve to keep up with a changing world. In particular, Gary talks:
- International strawberry market dynamics
- How climate has changed strawberry management strategies
- Are hurricanes a major concern for the Florida strawberry world?
- Solving the labor shortage
Our podcast, “Agriculture Adapts by ClimateAi,” hosted by Borna Poursheikhani, Growth Lead, offers a comprehensive exploration of how the agricultural industry is adapting to the challenges posed by climate change, featuring insights from top executives, growers, and academics. We uncover the hurdles and opportunities that lie ahead for those who feed the world, as we take a 360-degree view of the sector’s innovative solutions.