Web 2013
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05/06/13Reporting from AsiaMarkets in Korea and Cherry are looking very favorable for Northwest cherries |
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04/15/13Priority No. 2As the Washington apple production increases and U.S. apple consumption remains flat (if not arguably declining), we all agree increasing fresh apple consumption is priority No. 1. True as this statement is, another potentially devastating issue looms even larger on the immediate horizon—market access. Washington isn’t the only state planting apples: New York and Michigan are anticipating larger future crops, and when these increases are added to Washington’s, it’s very clear to me we need every export market. That makes market access priority No. 2. Mother Nature is unpredictably controlling your destiny through availability and thus influencing economic viability. And as I look out the window today (April 15) as snow... |
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04/15/13A New Cherry Season Brings Hope, Opportunity and Plenty of ChallengesAs the Northwest Cherry season draws closer by the day … for the first time in six or seven years I am thinking that the 2013 crop has the potential to begin harvest during the first days of June. In this business, what appears to be “so” in April might change drastically by the end of May. However, if you are a cherry grower, you have great hopes for the 2013 crop … It’s April and the opportunity for a successful summer harvest is something that keeps all of us at a frenetic pace throughout the spring. If you’ve ever seen the movie “Money Ball” … you know the premise of determining a “winning” recipe in the preseason is about paying attention to the statistics and historical... |
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04/01/13In Times of PlentyI think we can all agree the record Washington apple crop of 2012 couldn’t have happened at a better time. Severely reduced crop volumes in Michigan and New York created unprecedented domestic demand, pushing movement and prices to new heights. However, if our other U.S. apple producing brethren had normal crops, we would be having a much different discussion today. Market access problems in China and Indonesia would have a much larger impact without this increased domestic opportunity. Providing Mother Nature doesn’t show her might this spring, could the 2012 season foreshadow things to come? I’m of the opinion that our 2012 Washington apple crop of 129,000,000 boxes is a clear indicator of recent high-density plantings... |
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02/01/13Optimistic about pearsRecently, I had the pleasure to address a large number of growers at North Central Washington Pear Day in Wenatchee. The title of my talk was “Why I am optimistic about pears,” and I examined some of the trends that lead me to believe the future of the pear business is bright. Currently, my optimism revolves around the fact that we are having an excellent year with shipments well ahead of last year and at good prices. Some of the longer-term trends are as follows: • Moderate supply growth Worldwide production of the European varieties of pears that we grow in the Pacific Northwest is flat. While supply in the Pacific Northwest continues to increase slowly, overall production worldwide is actually slightly below where it was 10 years ago while the world... |
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01/25/13Plan aheadThis week, I had the pleasure of giving presentations at apple meetings in Chelan and Wenatchee focusing on the good fortune Washington apple growers are enjoying this season. Crop failures in New York, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada, have provided unprecedented domestic demand and price support. The 2012-13 Washington apple crop is definitely one for the books, but I think we all need to understand the math when looking ahead to the 2013 and 2014 harvests. Here’s the math: With normal crops in other growing regions, the U.S. domestic market has represented approximately 70 million boxes of Washington apples on average over the last five years. This season, Washington apple growers harvested 20 million more boxes than the previous record crop in 2010. Yes,... |
