Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/769560
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower JANUARY 15, 2017 21 The end result of the project, besides just general industry education, also yielded monetary figures for each attribute for breeders to keep in mind as they develop new cultivars. Breeders, especially those hired by universities, typi- cally hear requests from producers and packers through advisory boards, but knowing the wishes of shoppers is important, too, since they pay the bills, said Kate Evans, WSU's apple breeder. "We, of course, have to take the priorities of all three into account when making selections, so it is useful to see where they converge," said Evans, who attended Gallardo's presentation at the annual meet- ing. "Ultimately though, the willingness to pay of the consumer has to be the driving factor, as that is the only point that funds come in to the production chain." Methods The survey and analysis represented a $332,000 slice of the first stage of RosBREED, the broad $7 million federal Specialty Crop Research Initiative project aimed CRISPNESS FLAVOR EXTERNAL APPEARANCE SHELF LIFE SIZE FIRMNESS $2.00 PER POUND $1.50 $1.00 $.50 PRODUCERS PACKERS CONSUMERS MARKET CLEARING PRICE PRODUCERS PACKERS CONSUMERS MARKET CLEARING PRICE PRODUCERS PACKERS CONSUMERS MARKET CLEARING PRICE PRODUCERS PACKERS CONSUMERS MARKET CLEARING PRICE PRODUCERS PACKERS CONSUMERS MARKET CLEARING PRICE PRODUCERS PACKERS CONSUMERS MARKET CLEARING PRICE .33 .002 1.99 .40 .01 1.20 .06 .12 .89 .43 .13 .52 .16 .13 .09 .13 .13 .05 N/A 1.33 .65 .27 1.30 .15 APPLES: How much are producers, packers and consumers willing to pay for these attributes? SOURCE: KARINA GALLARDO, WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY JARED JOHNSON/GOOD FRUIT GROWER