Sponsored by:
Senator MICHAEL L. TESTA, JR.
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Amato
SYNOPSIS
Designates eggplant as State Crop.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act designating the eggplant as the New Jersey State Crop.
Whereas, Agriculture is the third-largest industry in the Garden State, bringing in approximately $1.5 billion annually; and
Whereas, New Jersey has nearly 10,000 farms spread across more than 700,000 acres producing more than 100 different kinds of fruits and vegetables; and
Whereas, New Jersey is consistently one of the highest-ranking producers of eggplants, ranking third nationally in 2023 and first between 2018 and 2022; and
Whereas, Eggplants are a diverse crop that come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, ranging from white to green to deep purple or striped, round, long, or teardrop in shape, and as short as 2 inches or more than a foot long; and
Whereas, A variety of commercially-grown eggplants are harvested in the State, including the traditional teardrop-shaped eggplant, as well as specialty types including Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Sicilian, and Thai eggplants; and
Whereas, New Jersey summers provide eggplants the warm, humid weather in which they thrive; and
Whereas, This State has an abundance of well-draining, sandy loam soil, which is perfect for growing eggplants; and
Whereas, In 2022, eggplants were harvested for sale on 785 acres across 342 farms in New Jersey; and
Whereas, In 2023, New Jersey produced 14.7 million pounds of eggplant, valued at $5.8 million; and
Whereas, Eggplants grown in this State are sold at local markets and shipped across the country and internationally; and
Whereas, Eggplants are high in antioxidants and a good source of fiber and potassium, making the crop a positive addition to a person’s diet; and
Whereas, New Jersey is home to restaurants serving food that represents the cultural diversity of the State, with many of them sautéing, baking, roasting, steaming, and frying a variety of international eggplant-based dishes, including Italian eggplant parmigiana, Middle Eastern baba ghanoush, and Indian baingan bharta; and
Whereas, In recognition of the eggplant’s popularity across New Jersey and its economic impact, it is fitting and proper to designate the eggplant as the State Crop; now, therefore,
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The eggplant is designated as the New Jersey State Crop.
2. This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill designates the eggplant as the State Crop in recognition of eggplant’s popularity across New Jersey and its economic impact.
Agriculture is the third-largest industry in the Garden State, bringing in approximately $1.5 billion annually. New Jersey is consistently one of the highest-ranking producers of eggplants, ranking third nationally in 2023 and first between 2018 and 2022.
This diverse crop comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. A variety of commercially-grown eggplants are harvested in the State.
New Jersey summers provide eggplants the warm, humid weather in which they thrive. This State has an abundance of well-draining, sandy loam soil, which is perfect for growing eggplants.
In 2022, eggplants were harvested for sale on 785 acres across 342 farms in New Jersey. In 2023, New Jersey produced 14.7 million pounds of eggplant, valued at $5.8 million, and a portion of the crop is shipped across the country and internationally.
Eggplants are high in antioxidants and a good source of fiber and potassium, making the crop a positive addition to a person’s diet. New Jersey is home to restaurants serving food that represents the cultural diversity of the State, with many of them cooking a variety of international eggplant-based dishes, including Italian eggplant parmigiana, Middle Eastern baba ghanoush, and Indian baingan bharta. The eggplant’s importance to New Jersey’s farming economy and its popularity across the State make it appropriate to designate the eggplant as the State Crop.