Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/418083
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER DECEMBER 2014 29 "Savings in hand thinning time and/or increases in fruit sizes resulted in a net positive impact of $123/ha to $1368/ha compared with hand thinning alone." - Baugher, Schupp, et al. Mechanical string thinner reduces crop load in various stages of bloom development in peach and nectarine trees. HORTSCIENCE 45(9): 1327-1331, 2010 Manufactured by; Beamsville, Ontario | 905.563.8261 www.provideag.ca Contact us directly or one of these dealers; Scotian Gold Co-op - 902.679.2191 Blueline Equipment - 800.827.0972 Crown Orchards - 434.979.0619 Louis Gelder and Sons - 269.934.9900 Ball stressed that the study only projected the need for new jobs in the industry and didn't factor replenish- ment or turnover of existing jobs. "So the low estimates are very conservative and basically refl ect if the industry stops growing, while the high estimates are really more where we expect things to be." To include replenishment numbers would entail an extensive survey of winery and vineyard employers about their employment projections in the short and long term. Numbers Ball noted that Washington's wine grape acreage increased annually by an average of 5 percent from 1999 to 2013. At the same time, the number of wineries in the state increased an average of 12 percent annually. The study estimated that nearly 65,450 acres of wine grapes would be in the ground by 2018, up from 50,260 acres in 2013. On the winery side, the study projected that 1,450 wineries will be bonded by 2018, up from about 800 currently. The study classifi ed the projected employment needs by education level and type of work as shown in Table 1. It also projected employment growth of sectors related to the wine industry, such as suppliers, retail and restaurant, and distributors. The study used a 5 percent annual growth rate, similar to the wine grape acreage growth, and projected that employment levels in related Employees needed Projections for the Washington wine industry through 2018. Level of Estimated number of Estimated number of education vineyard employees winery employees Low High Low High Bachelor's 10 29 62 184 Associate's 13 37 76 223 Less than associate's 947 2,797 1,081 3,193 SOURCE: AGRI-BUSINESS CONSULTANTS TABLE 1 PHOTO BY TJ MULLINAX