# What is the most valuable crop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626 "2004-10-11T13:22:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/1 "2004-10-11T13:22:43Z")
A dream I had last night made me wonder: imagine I had a magical acre of land, on which I could grow any crop. What crop has the greatest value per acre of harvested product? For the sake of our discussion, lets stick to legal crops, and restrict ourselves soley to the crop itself, not things made from it, to eliminate anomalies like the particular acre in France on which are grown the grapes for some hideously expensive wine. If we factor in the production cost, does the answer change? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/2 "2004-10-11T13:35:01Z")
The Tomato is the most valuable in the U.S and the second most valuable in the world (might lose to rice or wheat). Will cite if possible. ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/3 "2004-10-11T13:35:03Z")
Note: I am not a farmer, and as a city-dwelling youth, know nothing about it firsthand. From Eric Schlosser’s book Reefer Madness: Strawberries. They’re a very risky high-profit specialized crop, and our consumption of them has increased dramatically- California leads the US in agriculture. In 1970, there were about 600 acres of strawberries in the Santa Maria Valley, now there are six times that amount. CA accounts for more than 80 pct of strawberries grown in the US and ~25 pct grown in the world. The cost of production can be anywhere between $12,000 - $30,000 an acre. Great book, by the way. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/4 "2004-10-11T13:35:53Z")
Saffron, IIRC. Worth far, far more than fruits or vegetables. Now, is it a “crop”? I think it is. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/5 "2004-10-11T13:39:00Z")
In the U.S. it is tomato. [http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.PROGRAM\_TEXT\_RPT.SHOW?p\_arg\_names=prog\_nbr&p\_arg\_values=10.961](http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.PROGRAM_TEXT_RPT.SHOW?p_arg_names=prog_nbr&p_arg_values=10.961) Unless you read this about tobacco: [http://fujipub.com/fot/working.html](http://fujipub.com/fot/working.html) And in case you care, cattle are considered crops, too. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/6 "2004-10-11T13:40:06Z")
I was also thinking of saffron. Since you specify that anything will grow on this magical acre, you might do some research and figure out the hypothetical yield of truffles or chantrelle mushrooms? ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/7 "2004-10-11T13:41:28Z")
According to [this page](http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_MV128): Saffron is, indeed, one of the most expensive crops to purchase _per pound_. But, an acre of land will only produce about 10 lbs of it. So the retail value of an acre of saffron plants is only about $3650, which is obviously eclipsed by strawberries at a production cost of $12-30k, as **citrus x paradisi** reports. ---
**Author:** ![Kreekurmudgeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@Kreekurmudgeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kreekurmudgeon)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/8 "2004-10-11T13:43:40Z")
I haven’t researched it, but catfish and pine trees must fairly high in dollars per acre. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/9 "2004-10-11T13:47:42Z")
Vanilla. Yield of ~4000 lbs per acre. ([cite](http://www.orchidsasia.com/vanillaplants.htm) ) Price: ~$120/lb ([cite](http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:pEwlF2TKqsQJ:www.buydominica.com/vanilla.htm+vanilla+price+%22per+pound%22+-coffee&hl=en)) Nets approximately $480,000 per acre, retail. Not bad at all. ---
**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/10 "2004-10-11T13:50:50Z")
Safforn is a crop, but the yield per acre is so low (8 to 10lbs/acre) that while the price is high (approx $100/lb to the grower) the end result is that it is not even close to being as valuable as strawberries. Strawberries can yield as high as 27,600 lbs/acre and sell for $1.00/lb wholesale to the grower. These numbers are what I could quickly find while skimming the web, but you get the idea. I live in So Cal and there are still strawberry fields surrounded by suburban development. That has to tell you something right there. They paved over the asparagus fields to make shopping malls, but the strawberry fields remain. ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/11 "2004-10-11T13:54:14Z")
> [@daffyduck](#): > > They paved over the asparagus fields to make shopping malls, but the strawberry fields remain. Not the asparagus fields! Oh, how the children of California shall miss those verdant fields of green… ☹ It’s worth noting that strawberries, and tomatos too, I’d reckon, depend on the migrant labor available readily in the United States. Saffron pickers are probably trained for the job. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/12 "2004-10-11T13:57:17Z")
Isn’t some opium grown legally (for codeine et al)? No idea what the $/acre is tho. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/13 "2004-10-11T13:59:41Z")
> [@daffyduck](#): > > I live in So Cal and there are still strawberry fields surrounded by suburban development. That has to tell you something right there. That Southern California is full of Beatles fans? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/14 "2004-10-11T14:26:37Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Isn’t some opium grown legally (for codeine et al)? > No idea what the $/acre is tho. > > Brian I would guess that it’s not terribly high. Generic codeine based cough syrups and narcotic analgesics are among the cheaper prescription drugs out there, at least IME. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/15 "2004-10-11T15:15:14Z")
Some crops have brief harvest times, and you have to add a time control. ---
**Author:** ![wilsta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@wilsta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wilsta)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/16 "2004-10-11T16:02:37Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > I would guess that it’s not terribly high. Generic codeine based cough syrups and narcotic analgesics are among the cheaper prescription drugs out there, at least IME. This may be true, but a little bit of coca goes a long way. Also more importantly I would imagine the per acre grossing from these crops would be high compared to others discussed. However I have a feeling security overheads may cut a large chunk out of the profit margin. ---
**Author:** ![wilsta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@wilsta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wilsta)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/17 "2004-10-11T16:04:12Z")
> [@wilsta](#): > > This may be true, but a little bit of coca goes a long way. Also more importantly I would imagine the per acre grossing from these crops would be high compared to others discussed. However I have a feeling security overheads may cut a large chunk out of the profit margin. Whoops i meant…opium of course… not coca… but theres another one. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/18 "2004-10-11T19:07:48Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > I was also thinking of saffron. Since you specify that anything will grow on this magical acre, you might do some research and figure out the hypothetical yield of truffles or chantrelle mushrooms? Can you “grow a crop” of truffles? I thought their charm (read: expense) is due to the fact that they grow wild and have to be found. Wouldn’t you need to first grow a forest on your magical land and THEN grow truffles? Can fungus grow alone? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/19 "2004-10-11T19:11:19Z")
> [@daffyduck](#): > > I live in So Cal and there are still strawberry fields surrounded by suburban development. That has to tell you something right there. They paved over the asparagus fields to make shopping malls, but the strawberry fields remain. Aren’t there some strawberry fields in a prime location near Disneyland? ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626/20 "2004-10-11T19:13:51Z")
> [@iwakura43](#): > > Vanilla. > > Yield of ~4000 lbs per acre. ([cite](http://www.orchidsasia.com/vanillaplants.htm) ) > > Price: ~$120/lb ([cite](http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:pEwlF2TKqsQJ:www.buydominica.com/vanilla.htm+vanilla+price+%22per+pound%22+-coffee&hl=en)) > > Nets approximately $480,000 per acre, retail. Not bad at all. My understanding is that a storm which hit Madagascar (the world leader in vanilla) recently wiped out a good deal of the vanilla crop, thus these numbers may be temporarily inflated. I should think that marijuana would be up there; there are plenty of farmers in the Midwest and Tennessee, Kentucky who have made the switch from grain crops in order to hold on to the family farm… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-valuable-crop/268626.md?page=2)