It was principally authored by Sacramento-based international trade consultant Jock O’Connell, along with Fresno State agricultural economists Bert Mason and John Hagen.
The report was financed by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
According to the report, California’s airborne agricultural export trade totalled $659 million in 2004, an increase of some 60 percent over 2000. A number of high value-added specialty crops such as cherries, asparagus and strawberries have become acutely reliant on air cargo to reach overseas markets.
The report forecasts continued growth in airborne food exports due to rising worldwide demand for perishable fruits and vegetables as well as for certified organic farm products.
The report also points out that access via air to distant markets should become easier within the next decade as more international air transport services migrate from LAX and SFO to inland airports closer to prime agricultural production areas.
The report should be of interest not only to agricultural exporters but also to anyone interested in California’s air transport links with the rest of the world.
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