Strawberry grower closes six California farms and cuts over 500 jobs

A major Southern California strawberry grower plans to shut down six farms and lay off approximately 572 employees, according to the New York Post. SoCal Berry Growers notified the Oxnard City Council on October 31 of its plans to close the Ventura County locations. Most of the workers losing their positions are strawberry pickers. [1]

The New York Post reported that the farms are scheduled to shutter between January 11 and January 25, 2027. Under California state law, companies are required to give state and local officials at least 60 days of advance notice before closing a facility or laying off 50 or more workers. All six affected farms produce strawberries for agricultural giant Driscoll's. [1]

The planned closures come as the strawberry industry struggles with mounting financial losses and an expanding union dispute, the New York Post reported. Agriculture stands as a major sector of the California economy, which produces the largest amount of fruits, nuts, and vegetables in the United States. [1][3]

The agricultural job losses follow other recent employment reductions across California. As FTMQ News reported earlier, technology companies Dropbox and Front eliminated a combined 110 positions in San Francisco in late October, while The Walt Disney Company announced up to 200 job cuts in its Glendale-based Experiences unit. [4][5]