Good Fruit Grower

August 1

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42 AUGUST 2015 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com I t's been a decade since the Washington Apple Commission ended its domestic promotion program, after working for more than 60 years to establish Washington apples as "the world's fi nest." Even without the promotions, apple growers enjoyed a run of profitable years, until the dismal 2014–2015 marketing season. Last fall, Washington growers harvested a record 150 million boxes of apples, many of which have been dumped or sold below the cost of production because of diffi culties in exporting apples and a saturated domestic market. Washington fruit broker Tom Farris believes the reason growers had so many successful years was they were riding on the lingering reputation of the Washington brand. "One of the things I'm concerned about is we've been living off our past promotional dollars, and now the Washington apple logo is becoming less and less recognized," said Farris, who is based in Port Angeles, Should DOMESTIC promotions be revived? JARED JOHNSON/GOOD FRUIT GROWER Apple crops and prices keep rising Prices for Washington apples have stayed strong as volumes increase. The state exports about a third of its crop. 30 million BOXES 60 million BOXES 90 million BOXES 120 million BOXES 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 $10 per box $15 per box $20 per box SOURCE: WASHINGTON APPLE COMMISSION, WASHINGTON GROWERS CLEARING HOUSE ASSOCIATION, AND WASHINGTON STATE TREE FRUIT ASSOCIATION. 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 $22.55 $12.96 Exports (includes Canada) Domestic Average price per box (includes all varieties, grades, and sizes) Continued on page 44 Washington has been riding on its reputation, a fruit broker believes. by Geraldine Warner Most Recent Transactions Your Success is Our Success. Cascadia would like to thank our clients for trussng us with their business. Thanks to you, Cascadia has closed over 190 transaccons with $5.5 billion in value. Cascadia Capital is a diversified Middle Market investment bank serving both private and public growth companies around the world. If you would like to benefit from our sound advice, please contact: Michael Butler Chairman & CEO (206) 436-2530 michael.butler@cascadiacapital.com www.cascadiacapital.com Member FINRA / SIPC

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