High-Risk Niche Crop Industry Booms

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Farmers Wonder: What Are Our Choices?

By Janis Dice

With a posting of $28 billion in gross cash farm receipts in 2000, Californias farmers clearly cover a lot of ground in the variety of crops grown, some 350 commodities, and niche markets, from tropical fruits to edamame, are offering new opportunities for growers.

Scientists, researchers, state and federal government agricultural assistance agencies are finding ways to keep the Golden State green through crop research and development, and also by pushing legislation that levels the growing fields in the worldwide market.

Many farmers blossoming interest in niche crops including blueberries and guavas coincides with increased government regulations, expanded foreign competition and trade imbalances that squeeze profitability. That adds new opportunities, many agree, but not all growers are anxious to plow new ground.

We have farmers who have been here five generations and its difficult to get them to think about going any other way, explains Chuck Ingels, the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Farm Advisor for Sacramento County. Its hard to talk niche crops to someone managing 800 acres of pears.

It might be easier to discuss legislation proposed last October by Rep. Doug Ose (R-Sacramento) and Rep. Cal Dooley (D-Hanford). Their House Resolution 3242, the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act of 2003, would provide $470 million annually over the next five years for specialty crop funding throughout the nation. (In October 2003, the bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture requested an Executive Comment, the last posted status.)

By nature, niche markets are high risk and high profit, being high value, perishable and something that requires special knowledge, skills and marketing techniques. - San Joaquin County Small Farm Adviser Benny Fouche

Specialty Crop Grants

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