Sizzling demand for strawberries will prompt growers in California to plant a record number of acres this year, industry reports predict.

Farms in the Golden State plan to plant  41,570 acres of strawberries this year, up from 40,714 acres a year ago, according to an annual survey conducted by the California Strawberry Commission.

Such acreage would top the record 40,816 acres planted in 2013, notes the California Farm Bureau. More than 31,000 acres are already in the ground, the organization reports. The anticipated increase would come despite drought, labor shortages and other challenges.

The retail volume of strawberries has reached more than 1.2 billion pounds annually, more than all other berries combined, the Farm Bureau reports.