By Hayley Boriss and Marcia Kreith, Agricultural Issues Center, University of California.

Updated June 2011.

Background
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a native of Southwest Asia and has been grown in China since at least the 7th century. Spinach use was recorded in Europe as early as the mid-13th century, with colonists carrying spinach seed to the New World.

Overview
According to the 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture (2009), the number of spinach farms in the United States has increased by 93 between 2002 and 2007. The number of harvested acres, however, decreased from 49,859 to 44,071 over the same period of time.

In 2010, fresh spinach was harvested from 38,900 acres of U.S. farmland and processing spinach was harvested from 43,500 acres (NASS 2011). California and Arizona were the leading producers of spinach, followed by Texas and New Jersey. California produces far more fresh spinach than processing spinach but is also the leading producer of processing spinach. Arizona mainly produces fresh spinach.

Demand
Per person consumption of spinach reached a record 2.8 pounds per person in 2007. The following year, spinach consumption decreased to 2.4 pounds. Per person consumption of fresh spinach declined from 2 pounds per person in 2006 to 1.9 pounds per person in 2009 (ERS 2010).

Marketing
According to NASS (2009), only 6,550 tons of spinach was sold on the open market in 2008. On the other hand, nearly 97,000 tons of spinach were produced under contract.

Prices
Since 1993, the price for fresh spinach has remained less variable, fluctuating between $31.20 and $37.20 per cwt. In 2010, however, the average price for fresh spinach was a record $41.90 per cwt. The average price for processing spinach that year was a record $143.00 per ton (NASS 2011).

Historically, the average price for canned spinach has been much lower than that for frozen spinach. As of 2010, canned spinach remained steady at $68 per ton while frozen spinach was priced at a record $150 per ton. Because frozen spinach commands a much higher price than canned spinach, 94 percent of  processing spinach, by value, is frozen.  (NASS 2011) 

Production
In 2010, spinach production dropped to 6.1 million cwt. The total value of fresh spinach that year was $256.9 million, and the total value of processing spinach was $12.2 million.  (NASS 2011)

California and Arizona are the largest producers of fresh spinach, followed by Texas and New Jersey. California accounted for 71 percent of fresh spinach in 2010, and California and Arizona combined accounted for nearly 90 percent. California's fresh spinach crop declined in value to nearly $186.0 million.  (NASS 2011)

According to the USDA, 7,600 tons of spinach were produced for canning in 2010, a drop from 2009, and 77,540 tons of spinach were produced for freezing, also a decline from the previous year. California is the largest producer of spinach for processing. The state's 2010 crop was valued at more than $8.2 million, a substantial increase from 2009 largely due to record prices for spinach for freezing.  (NASS 2011)   

The United States is the second largest producer of spinach in the world behind China. According to the Economic Research Service (2010), spinach production in China reached 264.6 million cwt in 2008, while Japan, the third largest producer, grew 6.7 million cwt.

Exports
Exports of fresh spinach totaled more than 26,100 metric tons (MT) in 2009, a significant increase from the last two years but still far less than the record volume exported in 2002. Frozen spinach exports totaled nearly 4,300 MT, a decrease from 2008. The bulk of spinach exports, both fresh and frozen, were shipped to Canada.  (FAS 2009)

Imports
In 2009, imports of fresh spinach declined to less than 4,730 MT, the lowest volume recorded since 2002. Most fresh spinach was imported from Mexico, followed by Canada. Meanwhile, imports of frozen spinach reached a record 21,970 MT.  (FAS 2009)
 

Sources
Crop Values, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), USDA.

Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS), Foreign Ag Service (FAS), USDA.

U.S. per capita food availability, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA, 2008.

Spinach, FAO, UN, 2007. 

Vegetables and Melons Yearbook, ERS, USDA, 2011.

Vegetables, Potatoes, and Melons Harvested for Sale: 2007 and 2002, 2007 Census of Agriculture - State Data, NASS, USDA, 2009.

Vegetables 2010 Summary, NASS, USDA, 2011.
 

Created February 2006 and updated June 2011.