The U.S. market may have absorbed more than 2 billion pounds of fresh strawberries recently, but the popularity of the fruit still has growers planting more, according to a RaboResearch report.

In terms of volume, strawberries will continue to be the leading item in the so-called berry patch in years to come, the report states, citing an "elevated household penetration" of the fruit in the U.S.

Strawberry acreage in California is up by more than 6% since last year, the California Farm Bureau notes.

RaboResearch predicts the Golden State's peak season will begin in May, as the state's three main growing regions -- around Oxnard, Santa Maria and Watsonville -- are all producing berries.