Apricot outlook 'normal' after expected big crop reduced by weather
Apricot outlook 'normal' after expected big crop reduced by weather
"It looks as though, all things considered, we are likely to end up with a normal harvest in total," Tom Tjerandsen, manager of the California Fresh Apricot Council, said with regard to the 2005 California apricot crop.
Earlier in the season, it had appeared that the harvest would yield a "greater-than-normal volume of apricots this year. But the crop potential "has been slowly chipped away because of principally weather-related issues, he said May 6.
Although the total crop volume is now expected to be about normal, "the front end is going to be a little bit short, he said. He estimated a crop of about 1.2 million boxes, compared to 1.1 million last year and right in line with the five-year average.
The harvest was underway on Earlicot and Poppycot varieties, with promotable volumes just starting to enter the market. "We are getting very nice looking Poppys and Earlies, he said. "I have seen them in both New York and Chicago markets, and they look terrific. They've got good color and good flavor, and the receivers & are finding that the fruit is not only satisfying their anticipated needs but certainly earning them kudos from their customers.& So what we are shipping so far is seeming to p lease the receivers.
Pattersons, a later variety, seem to be "sizing wonderfully well, Mr. Tjerandsen said, adding that they should be an improvement over "the past few years when getting enough larger sizes to satisfy market demand had been a problem.
A big question as yet unanswered, he said, was "what the canners are going to do. Producers of processing apricots had not yet signed a contract with canners, although that was expected to happen shortly, he said. "Assuming that the canneries take their traditional volume, he said, the amount of apricots on the fresh market should be manageable, so that "everyone will be able to make a little money on the program.
Also helping the market this year will be the fact that a systems approach has been approved for exportation of apricots to Mexico. Last year, only fumigated California apricots were permitted into Mexico, and fumigation is "not a viable option for apricots, so that market, which had normally taken some 200,000 boxes of fruit, was essentially closed. The restoration of the Mexican market should "help considerably to firm the price this year, Mr. Tjerendsen said.
Some significant rain damage occurred to apricots in the Kettleman Hills area in the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. "Initially, it looked like a wonderful crop, said Don Goforth of Family Tree Farms in Reedley, CA, which grows early apricots and other early stone fruit varieties in the Kettleman Hills area. "It was a moderate set, neither light nor overly loaded, and "the product was looking fantastic. It was very promising. We had all hoped for wonderful things. The fruit was sizing very nicely. And then the rains came upon us.
Two major storms, one on April 28 and the next on May 5, brought heavy rainfall on the ready-to-harvest fruit. "It is dramatically reducing the amount of apricots that will go to market, Mr. Goforth said. "We are going to be left with less than half of that crop to market.
"I can honestly tell you, he added, that "the fruit that is making it into the box is clean. The sugars are high. It is very nice fruit. But labor costs per packed box have been increased "dramatically, he said.
Following the rain storms, "we ran through [the orchards] with big wind machines and blew the water off the leaves and fruit so that the pickers could go in and harvest, he said.
The rain also caused problems with Family Tree's Aprium crop in the Kettleman Hills area. Other stone fruit varieties seemed to be faring OK apart from the rain hampering the harvesting crews' ability to get into the orchards to pick.
Jeannine Martin of Simonian Fruit Co. in Fowler, CA, a major apricot grower and shipper, told The Produce News May 6, "We, ourselves, hadn't really gotten started yet with the apricot harvest when the April 28 and May 5 rains came. Like cherries, apricots are susceptible to cracking if it gets rained on when it is ripe and ready to pick.
Simonian, whose apricots are grown in the Mendota, CA area, expected to start harvesting apricots May 9. "We are hoping we don't see a problem there, she said. But "it is not the end [of the rains] yet. More rain was still in the forecast, "so we are very cautious.
She does expect to see a shortage of apricots in the market at least for the early part of the season, she said. Beyond that, "because of the weather being still threatening, it is hard to predict.
Earlier in the season, it had appeared that the harvest would yield a "greater-than-normal volume of apricots this year. But the crop potential "has been slowly chipped away because of principally weather-related issues, he said May 6.
Although the total crop volume is now expected to be about normal, "the front end is going to be a little bit short, he said. He estimated a crop of about 1.2 million boxes, compared to 1.1 million last year and right in line with the five-year average.
The harvest was underway on Earlicot and Poppycot varieties, with promotable volumes just starting to enter the market. "We are getting very nice looking Poppys and Earlies, he said. "I have seen them in both New York and Chicago markets, and they look terrific. They've got good color and good flavor, and the receivers & are finding that the fruit is not only satisfying their anticipated needs but certainly earning them kudos from their customers.& So what we are shipping so far is seeming to p lease the receivers.
Pattersons, a later variety, seem to be "sizing wonderfully well, Mr. Tjerandsen said, adding that they should be an improvement over "the past few years when getting enough larger sizes to satisfy market demand had been a problem.
A big question as yet unanswered, he said, was "what the canners are going to do. Producers of processing apricots had not yet signed a contract with canners, although that was expected to happen shortly, he said. "Assuming that the canneries take their traditional volume, he said, the amount of apricots on the fresh market should be manageable, so that "everyone will be able to make a little money on the program.
Also helping the market this year will be the fact that a systems approach has been approved for exportation of apricots to Mexico. Last year, only fumigated California apricots were permitted into Mexico, and fumigation is "not a viable option for apricots, so that market, which had normally taken some 200,000 boxes of fruit, was essentially closed. The restoration of the Mexican market should "help considerably to firm the price this year, Mr. Tjerendsen said.
Some significant rain damage occurred to apricots in the Kettleman Hills area in the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. "Initially, it looked like a wonderful crop, said Don Goforth of Family Tree Farms in Reedley, CA, which grows early apricots and other early stone fruit varieties in the Kettleman Hills area. "It was a moderate set, neither light nor overly loaded, and "the product was looking fantastic. It was very promising. We had all hoped for wonderful things. The fruit was sizing very nicely. And then the rains came upon us.
Two major storms, one on April 28 and the next on May 5, brought heavy rainfall on the ready-to-harvest fruit. "It is dramatically reducing the amount of apricots that will go to market, Mr. Goforth said. "We are going to be left with less than half of that crop to market.
"I can honestly tell you, he added, that "the fruit that is making it into the box is clean. The sugars are high. It is very nice fruit. But labor costs per packed box have been increased "dramatically, he said.
Following the rain storms, "we ran through [the orchards] with big wind machines and blew the water off the leaves and fruit so that the pickers could go in and harvest, he said.
The rain also caused problems with Family Tree's Aprium crop in the Kettleman Hills area. Other stone fruit varieties seemed to be faring OK apart from the rain hampering the harvesting crews' ability to get into the orchards to pick.
Jeannine Martin of Simonian Fruit Co. in Fowler, CA, a major apricot grower and shipper, told The Produce News May 6, "We, ourselves, hadn't really gotten started yet with the apricot harvest when the April 28 and May 5 rains came. Like cherries, apricots are susceptible to cracking if it gets rained on when it is ripe and ready to pick.
Simonian, whose apricots are grown in the Mendota, CA area, expected to start harvesting apricots May 9. "We are hoping we don't see a problem there, she said. But "it is not the end [of the rains] yet. More rain was still in the forecast, "so we are very cautious.
She does expect to see a shortage of apricots in the market at least for the early part of the season, she said. Beyond that, "because of the weather being still threatening, it is hard to predict.
