Tomato industry thrives in face of drought

Drought has not kept tomato growers from meeting the demand from fans of salsa, ketchup and pasta sauce.

The state’s harvest of processing tomatoes – the kind that goes to canneries rather than produce aisles – hit a record 14 million tons last year. A survey this month found that growers expect to produce 15 million tons in 2015.

The crop, much of it handled at canneries in and near Stanislaus County, has kept growing even as farmers struggle with reduced irrigation supplies. They have found that tomatoes, which brought a record $83 per ton last year, are a worthwhile use of what little water they have.

“A big reason is exports,” said Aaron Barcellos, who grows tomatoes and other crops in the Los Banos area. “There’s a demand for the products overseas.”

He talked about the industry Thursday at the 68th annual meeting of the California Tomato Growers Association, which drew about 240 people to the DoubleTree Hotel in Modesto.

California grows about a third of the world’s processing tomatoes, and about a sixth of the state’s harvest is in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. The region’s canneries employ several thousand people during the summer and a smaller number year-round.

The drought, now in its fourth year, has forced many farmers to fallow annual crops such as corn and cotton so they could sustain fruit and nut trees. Tomatoes also are an annual crop, meaning growers could have skipped a year, but the per-ton price has made them worth irrigating.

Last year was challenging nonetheless. Some growers, especially on the West Side, paid high prices for water on the open market. Many increased their groundwater pumping, which also is expensive and raised concerns in some areas about overdrafting.

“I will say that it was not the easiest crop on record,” said Mike Montna, president and chief executive officer of the growers group.

The $83-per-ton price, which the association negotiated with canneries, compares with $70.50 in 2012 and just $50.20 a decade earlier. Back then, growers complained that the price did not cover their costs, including land, labor, water, fertilizer, pesticides and equipment.

Although exports are growing, demand within the United States remains flat. The industry is trying to counter this through the Tomato Products Wellness Council, which touts health benefits such as vitamin A, vitamin C and lycopene, a possible cancer fighter.

The council is one year into a three-year effort to reach consumers via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media. They can view an ever-changing stream of recipes, health information and photos – including one recent shot of a baby whose head is covered in spaghetti.

“You have to have some ideas with a chance of going viral,” program coordinator Rodger Wasson told the audience. “… It’s all to be sure that we have demand for these excellent products that start on your farms.”

The industry points out that processing tomatoes are harvested at the peak of ripeness, unlike the still-green tomatoes bound for the fresh market. They also are convenient, affordable and available year-round.

“People think a tomato in a jar or a can isn’t fresh,” Barcellos said, “but in fact, it’s as fresh as it gets.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2015 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Tomato industry thrives in face of drought."