Santa Barbara County’s agriculture industry brought in $2.2 billion in revenue in 2025, propelled by strong sales of strawberries.

The news was shared as part of the county’s annual Crop and Livestock Report, which was presented to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The agriculture industry saw an 11.5% increase in gross value last year. The total value grew to $2.2 billion in 2025 compared with $2 billion in 2024.

“This growth was driven by several factors, including an increase in total harvested acreage, higher crop yields per acre and stronger market pricing,” according to Dallys Estrada, an agricultural inspector for the county.

Santa Barbara’s produce and plants are exported to 36 countries worldwide, with Mexico and Canada being the county’s top trading partners. Last year, 118 million pounds of product were exported, according to Estrada.

Strawberries continue to be the county’s most profitable product, bringing in about $941 million in revenue during 2025. That amounted to almost half of the industry’s value last year.

Fruits and nuts made up 51% of the industry’s value. The value also benefited from rising market costs for strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.

Nursery plants, such as flowers, came in second with a value of $126.5 million last year because of strong demand and stable production.

Broccoli, lettuce, wine grapes, cauliflower, celery, blackberries and livestock rounded out the list.

Estrada told the board that vegetable farmers experienced a better season because of warmer weather and improved plant varieties that reduced pest issues.

“However, because of soaring production costs, labor shortages, supply chain and other ongoing challenges, vegetable prices continue to climb,” Estrada said.

Wine grapes also benefited from the weather and saw a greater yield per acre, despite a smaller harvest last year. The quality of last year’s grape crop also led to higher demand and a 23.9% increase in value.

Grapes’ value grew to $87 million in 2025, showing a 23.9% increase compared with 2024. Chardonnay, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc were the leading varieties of grapes harvested.

Jose Chang, the county’s agriculture commissioner, said the decline in 2024 was because of the quality of last year’s crop.

In his comments, Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson called the county’s agriculture industry a shining star. He stressed the need for the county to protect the industry and all of the other businesses that rely on it to function.

He said that when the agricultural industry suffers, related industries also feel the effects.

“I think that all trickles down, and I think it’s really important for us to keep an eye on that,” Nelson said.