CTFA releases 2007 crop estimates
CTFA releases 2007 crop estimates
PARLIER, CA -- The California Tree Fruit Agreement is projecting a combined crop of 50.5 million boxes of California peaches, plums and nectarines for the 2007 season, up from 47.5 million boxes in 2005. Estimated starting dates for each variety are a week earlier than last year, which was later than normal.
The crop estimates were released at the CTFA spring meetings held here on May 1 upon their approval by the respective commodity committees, which are administered by CTFA.
The Nectarine Administrative Committee approved an estimate of 19 million boxes for the 2007 California nectarine crop, up from 17 million boxes in 2006.
The most dramatic change in any one variety is in the Zee Fire nectarine, a newer and early variety that first came into commercial production in 2004. This year, the industry expects to ship 751,000 boxes of Zee Fire, compared to 293,000 boxes last year. The start date was May 1. The largest nectarine crop of the last 10 years was 23.3 million boxes in 2002.
The California peach crop is estimated to be up by about 1 million packages over last year. The Peach Commodity Committee approved an estimate of nearly 20.2 million packages for the 2007 crop, compared to just over 19.2 million packages in 2006. The largest peach crop of the last 10 years was 22.5 million boxes in 2003.
The plum crop is expected to be very similar to last year in total volume, with a 2007 estimate of nearly 11.4 million packages compared to shipments of nearly 11.2 million packages in 2006. The largest plum crop of the last 10 years was in 1997, when the industry produced 17.3 million boxes of fruit.
The biggest shift in any one plum variety this year is a decline in the Fortune variety, dropping to an estimated 500,000 packages from 994,000 packages in 2006. Major proprietary varieties, collectively, are expected to increase significantly to an estimated 1.2 million this year from 729,000 packages last year.
Of the total, 4.6 million packages of nectarines and 4.9 million packages of peaches are white-flesh varieties.
The crop estimates were released at the CTFA spring meetings held here on May 1 upon their approval by the respective commodity committees, which are administered by CTFA.
The Nectarine Administrative Committee approved an estimate of 19 million boxes for the 2007 California nectarine crop, up from 17 million boxes in 2006.
The most dramatic change in any one variety is in the Zee Fire nectarine, a newer and early variety that first came into commercial production in 2004. This year, the industry expects to ship 751,000 boxes of Zee Fire, compared to 293,000 boxes last year. The start date was May 1. The largest nectarine crop of the last 10 years was 23.3 million boxes in 2002.
The California peach crop is estimated to be up by about 1 million packages over last year. The Peach Commodity Committee approved an estimate of nearly 20.2 million packages for the 2007 crop, compared to just over 19.2 million packages in 2006. The largest peach crop of the last 10 years was 22.5 million boxes in 2003.
The plum crop is expected to be very similar to last year in total volume, with a 2007 estimate of nearly 11.4 million packages compared to shipments of nearly 11.2 million packages in 2006. The largest plum crop of the last 10 years was in 1997, when the industry produced 17.3 million boxes of fruit.
The biggest shift in any one plum variety this year is a decline in the Fortune variety, dropping to an estimated 500,000 packages from 994,000 packages in 2006. Major proprietary varieties, collectively, are expected to increase significantly to an estimated 1.2 million this year from 729,000 packages last year.
Of the total, 4.6 million packages of nectarines and 4.9 million packages of peaches are white-flesh varieties.
