Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/386317
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER OCTOBER 2014 27 Some growers have small, unsophisti- cated storage rooms where they can keep fruit for four to five months after harvest, so they're not selling it during the glut of production, Mathew said. There is little controlled-atmosphere storage. One grower they visited had taken a regular storage room and filled every crack he could find with spray foam, so that when the door was locked, it would create low-oxygen conditions. The highway running through the Ili Valley links Almaty to China. Chinese apple growing areas are a five-day drive away, and Chinese Fuji apples are trucked to Kazakhstan at a cost of U.S.$6 per carton plus $8 for transportation and sell for $20 wholesale. The retail price for Chinese apples is about 500 Kazakh tenge per kilo ($1.25 a pound), compared with 300 to 350 tenge (75 to 85 cents a pound) for local apples. In a market there, Weber and Mathews saw Gala apples from Double Diamond Fruit Company in Quincy, Washington, which had probably been imported via St. Petersburg, Russia, and trucked the 2,500 miles to Almaty, as there are no direct imports from the United States. Wealth In Almaty, a city of 2 million people, there are signs of wealth. It has western clothing stores, like Saks Fifth Avenue, and Metro, a German grocery chain similar to Sam's Club. It also has the largest Lexus car dealership in Asia. However, outside the city, poorly built Soviet-era buildings and other infrastructure are in disrepair. "Almaty looks pretty good," Weber said. "But the other areas we were in were pretty poor looking." Most of the roads were gravel. Some were paved, but had so many potholes that Weber wondered how the growers could drive their fruit to market without it being badly bruised. Weber said he was interested to see how fruit was grown in Kazakhstan, and he and Mathews tried not to discourage anyone. " W e c e r t a i n l y g a v e p e o p l e encouragement," he said. "They are wonderful, nice people. Everybody's just trying to make a living and provide a place for their families, but these guys have a tough row to hoe." • Essential reading matter that Keith Mathews noticed in the dormitory of the Middle Earth Orchards Group's training center at Baiseit, Kazakhstan. Willow Drive Nursery, Inc. Call Toll Free: 1-888-548-7337 3539 Road 5 NW, Ephrata, WA 98823, www.willowdrive.com Ambrosia™ Blondee™ Cameo® brand Chrisolyn™ Jonathan Granny Smith Jonastar™ Jonagold Pink Lady® Brand RubyMac® Snowsweet® Spartan Zestar!® Gala: Buckeye® Gala Ultima Gala® Early Fuji: Morning Mist™ Rising Sun® Braeburn: Kumeu Crimson® Mariri Red™ Additional Varieties Brookfield ® Gala (Baigent CV) From New Zealand we bring you Brookfield, ® the ultimate striped Gala.The bold red stripe over its red background is the obvious improvement. The apple's early color permits proper harvest timing for best storage maturity, flavor retention, and customer satisfaction. USPP# 10,016 Kootenay TM This Lapins mutation was discovered in Creston, B.C. Kootenay TM matures at Sweetheart timing, but more closely resembles the Lapins fruit. The fruit is dark red with red flesh, and is self-fertile. Willow Drive recommends Kootenay TM for testing at this time. USPP# 18,849 Honeycrisp Introduced in 1991, Honeycrisp is creating quite an intere st with comm ercia l g rower s . The we l l- balanced, sub-acid flavor combined with a crisp, juicy texture make for an enjoyable eating experience. Aztec Fuji ® DT2 variety Aztec Fuji ® is a high colored Fuji sport from New Zealand. It has the sweet juicy flavor, crisp texture and harvest maturity of standard Fuji. Aztec is a blush type and observations show it to be one of the highest coloring Fuji sports to date. Aztec Fuji® is a protected trademark of Waimea Variety Management Ltd. Early Robin ® This early Rainier-type cherry matures 7-10 days before standard Rainier. Early Robin ® is mild in flavor and medium to large in size. Early Robin ® requires a pollinizer but Van should not be used. USPP#13,951 Willow Drive Nursery Call Now for Availability