Favorable weather has contributed to a good fig harvest this year, while increased plantings will likely contribute to steady volume in the future.“With the combination of an early spring and above-average temperatures, we are producing good quality,” said Karla Stockli, chief executive officer of the California Fig Advisory Board. The season got underway in May, and the benefits of good weather that got the year off to a good start have continued through the second part of the season that began in August.
Acreage is expected to go up as an upward trend in plantings continues. That's on the heels of a decline in previous years which was caused by a combination of factors, said Stockli.
“The previous decline in fig-bearing acreage was mostly due to marginal orchards or less desirable varieties being replaced with higher-value crops and housing growth,” she said. But as growers have adjusted their plantings and the housing market has cooled significantly, fig plantings are going back up. That, according to Stockli, will contribute to a consistent flow of fresh figs through January and a consistent supply of dried figs throughout the year.
The majority of California figs are grown in Northern California, the Coachella Valley and the San Joaquin Valley. Production is currently in full swing and is expected to continue through December.