Good Fruit Grower

May 1

Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/497437

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 36 of 47

www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower MAY 1, 2015 37 APPLES, ALL 14,050 +23 +5.4 Gala 3,333 +30 +14.8 Fuji 3,235 +10 -6.9 Honeycrisp 1,727 +35 +16.0 Red Delicious 1,344 +4 -1.1 Cripps Pink 897 +16 +4.4 Apples, export -8 Exports, Canada only +2 PEARS, ALL 1,840 +18 +16 Pears, domestic +21 Pears, export -15 Export, Canada only -6 Table 1 Rising organic production and shipments Estimated acres 2014 % Increase in shipments over previous high* % Increase in 2014 crop over previous high * Season-to-date shipments, up to mid-March, 2015. SOURCE: WASHINGTON STATE TREE FRUIT ASSOCIATION; WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Table 2 Organic set for growth Organic tree fruit acreage in Washington could grow significantly over the next few years. Apple 14,050 8,500 +60 Pear 1,840 1,335 +72 Cherry 1,932 1,370 +71 SOURCE: DAVID GRANATSTEIN, WSU Acreage 2014 Possible new acres 2015-17 % Increase 21-40, 41-60, 61-80, 81-100, 101-150, 151-200, and over 200 acres), since the clickers could not accept a typed-in number response. For each range, the number of responses was multiplied by the mid-point, and then all ranges added together to develop rough estimates. Based on this, growers may increase organic acreage in the next two to three years as follows: apples, 8,500 acres; pears, 1,335 acres; cherries, 1,370 acres. Compare these to the existing certifi ed acres in Table 2 and these are very large increases. This is a departure from the generally stable acreages seen since 2009. The transition acres reported in 2014 are much smaller than the survey results (783 for apple, 84 for pear, and 57 for cherry), confi rming that reported transition acres are no longer a reliable gauge of future growth. Organic tree fruit is expanding elsewhere as well. Organic apple acres have grown 40 percent a year for the past few years in Europe, driven by Poland and Germany. Worldwide, organic cherry acreage expanded 15 percent per year, and organic pear acreage was up 2 percent per year, in 2011 and 2012. Much of that fruit is fi lling the growing European demand, but their market may be a bit more mature than ours and growing less quickly. The challenge for Washington growers is to avoid another overshoot with too many new acres at once. Demand in the United States shows no sign of slowing, and keeping supply in line with that demand will help stabilize prices. With our amenable growing conditions, quality growers, and developed markets, the future looks good for organic fruit. • ONLINE More details on the organic fruit sector can be found on the WSU organic statistics website at bit.ly/1Hkb0wm Consider for your next planting: • BRUCE PONDER • SUSAN WILKINSON • ADAM WEIL • DAVE WEIL 503-538-2131 • FAX: 503-538-7616 info@treeconnect.com www.treeconnect.com BENEFITS: • Disease tolerant • Cold hardy • Adapts well to all cherry-growing districts • Forms flower buds and comes into bearing quicker than Mazzard with a better distribution of flower buds Now booking orders for 2016 Call Tree Connection: 800-421-4001 Dwarfing Cherry Rootstock Krymsk ® 5 Krymsk ® 6 [cv. VSL-2, USPP 15,723] [cv. LC-52, USPP 16,114] "Krymsk ® 5 and Krymsk ® 6 cherry rootstocks have proven to be the best rootstock for our orchards. They are yield efficient, grow and adapt well, and are cold hardy." —John Morton The Dalles, Oregon

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Good Fruit Grower - May 1