Growing strawberries in California is 9796% more profitable than growing corn in the Midwest, Gladstone Land said, in the latest evidence of underperformance in row crop land.
"A farmer with 10,000 acres in corn in the Midwest would only need approximately 143 acres of strawberry ground in California to generate the same amount of revenue," Gladstone said.
9796% is a lot. But seriously meaningless. First, are we talking revenue or net income? Should our steadfast Midwest farmer with 10,000 acres convert to strawberries? If you will watch this YouTube video you will note that this berry farmer in California, with several hundred acres of strawberries, employs 1,200 people. That's a lot of people. Think that is practical for 10,000 acres of berries?
The top three states for growing strawberries (California, Florida, and Oregon) have about 50,000 total acres dedicated to strawberry growing. Just to put that in context, the Oracle Google reports: Corn acres planted is estimated at 91.6 million acres, down 4 percent from last year, representing the lowest planted acreage in the United States since 2010. Soybean area for harvest is estimated at a record high 84.1 million acres, if realized, up 7.4 million acres (11 percent) from 2013.Jun 30, 2014.
Farming can be a tough business, but what business isn't? Give row crops their due. They are providing sustenance for a nation.
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