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The vegetable and melon industry might best be described
as "diversity within a common framework." While
frequently viewed as a single industry, it is actually
composed of hundreds of independent markets that function
within the U.S. food marketing system. Vegetable and melon farm cash receipts averaged $18.0 billion between 2000 and 2007, 8 percent of total cash receipts (crops and livestock) and 16 percent of crop receipts. This was generated on less
than 2 percent of all U.S. harvested acreage.
One way to classify the vegetable and melon industry
is by the two major end uses: fresh market
and processing. Processing can be further divided into
canning, freezing, and dehydrating. Commodities grown
specifically for one use frequently cannot be diverted
to another in response to short-term market signals because
they do not meet the exacting requirements of the alternative
use.
According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, vegetable
and melon farms are largely individually owned and relatively
small, with nearly three-fourths harvesting fewer than
25 acres. However, relatively few farms account for most
commercial sales of vegetables and melons. About
12 percent of vegetable and melon farms had sales in excess
of $500,000, yet these farms accounted for 87 percent
of vegetables and melons sold by growers.
Production of vegetables and melons in the United States
continues to trend higher with output this decade running
about 12 percent above that of a decade earlier. While
total vegetable output has continued to rise over the
past decade, acreage has declined slightly, indicating
increasing productivity per acre.
Vegetable and melon production (including potatoes, sweet
potatoes, mushrooms, and pulses) occurs throughout the
United States, with the largest acreage in California,
North Dakota (primarily potatoes and pulse crops), Idaho,
Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin. More than
half of all vegetable production occurs on irrigated acreage.
The Upper Midwest (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan)
and the Pacific States (California, Washington, and Oregon)
report the largest vegetable acreage for processing, while
California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and New York harvest
the largest acreage for the fresh market.
California and Florida produce the largest selection
and quantity of fresh vegetables. California also produces
vegetables for processing (especially tomatoes), while
the Upper Midwest States (Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota)
grow a large portion of the green peas, snap beans, and sweet
corn used in canning. Northwestern States (Washington,
Oregon, and Idaho) along with New York supply the lion's
share of frozen vegetables and more than half the potatoes.
Significant potato production also takes place in Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Colorado. North Carolina, California, and Mississippi produce more than three-fourths of the sweet potato crop. Pennsylvania and California raise the majority of
the Nation's mushrooms.
Processing Versus Fresh
For most vegetables, growing for processing is distinct
from producing for the fresh market. Generally, little
diversion takes place between the fresh and processing
markets in the United States. Most varieties grown for
processing are better adapted to mechanical harvesting
and often do not have characteristics desirable for fresh-market
sale. For example, processing tomatoes are generally smaller
and possess different internal attributes (such as soluble
solids) than most fresh varieties (except plum types).
Most vegetables destined for processing are grown under
contractual arrangements between growers and processors,
whereas contracting for fresh market sales, although increasing,
is still less common. About half of all vegetable and
melon production is destined for processing.
Climate causes most domestic fruit and vegetable production
to be seasonal, with the largest harvests occurring during
the summer and fall. Imports supplement domestic supplies,
especially of fresh products during the winter, resulting
in increased choices for consumers. For example, Florida
produces the majority of domestic warm-season vegetables
like fresh tomatoes during the winter and spring, while
California produces the bulk of U.S. output in the summer
and fall. Fresh tomato imports, primarily from Mexico
and Canada (largely hothouse), boost total supply during
the first half of the year and compete directly
with winter and early spring production from Florida.
Vegetable and melon yields have been rising. The major
source of higher yields has been the introduction of more
prolific hybrid varieties, many of which exhibit improved
disease resistance as well as increased fruit set. The
adoption of precision farming techniques, including the
adoption of drip irrigation, plastic mulches, row covers,
more effective pesticide sprays, high-density planting,
use of global positioning systems (GPS), and other
methodological improvements have also boosted yields.
Over the longer run, shifting from less productive areas
to better yielding areas has also contributed to higher
U.S. average yields. For example, much of the U.S. potato
and onion production has moved from lower yielding Eastern
States to more productive Western States, which also offer
lower unit production costs.
Vegetable and melon output likely will continue to rise
faster than population growth over the next decade due
largely to continued emphasis on health and nutrition,
resulting in expanding consumer demand. In 1992, the fruit
and vegetable industry, in cooperation with the National
Cancer Institute, embarked on a campaign (National 5-A-Day)
to increase awareness of, and substantially expand, U.S.
fruit and vegetable consumption. This effort has been
joined by the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act of 2004 and various provisions in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008,
which, among other things, seeks to enhance the domestic
consumption of vegetables, melons, and fruit. These programs,
together with grassroots industry promotion efforts and
the strengthened message of the USDA Food Guide
Pyramid, will continue to educate consumers on the benefits
of a balanced diet that includes a variety of vegetables
and melons.
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