Californian strawberry growers broke harvest records last year, producing more than 174m trays from 15,635ha of planted area, an increase of 855ha on the previous year.
As of 26 December, USDA figures showed California had produced 174.2m trays of strawberries compared to 152.7m to the same point in 2008.
The crop was helped by warm, dry conditions and the introduction of some new, higher-yielding varieties, Capital Press reported.
One of those new varieties, Albion, was created by the University of California and, despite being introduced only three years ago, it is now planted across 6,070ha throughout the state.
Spokeswoman for the Californian Strawberry Commission Carolyn O'Donnell said the variety had been performing particularly well.
'It hit that sweet spot literally and figuratively,' she said. 'It's a pretty hearty plant. It produces well, and it tastes great.'
Strawberries are virtually a year-round crop in California, with harvesting in southern California during the winter months, then moving further north throughout the year.
Planted area for this year has dipped slightly to 14,950ha but Ms O'Donnell believes that yields will remain high thanks to these new varieties.
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