Hailstorm damage to New York apple crop a 'wait-and-see' game now
Hailstorm damage to New York apple crop a 'wait-and-see' game now
"It is a wait-and-see game now," said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association in Fishers, NY. "We are now waiting to see how [the apples] grow and how they can best be used."
Mr. Allen was referring to the damage to apple orchards resulting from a hailstorm that swept across New York state June 16. Current damage assessments stand at about 6 million to 7 million bushels that could have been damaged during the storm.
Besides apples, particularly hard hit in the storm were strawberries (which had just come into season), cherries, peaches, pears and plums. The storm hit too late in the year for growers to replant other damaged crops.
On June 27, New York Gov. David Paterson requested disaster assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for farms that experienced crop damage, urging the federal government to declare 23 New York counties agricultural disaster areas. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) called on the USDA to quickly approve the governor's request for county-by-county disaster declarations and federal assistance.
"It is such a shame," said Mr. Allen. "This fall will be the first time anyone can remember that Washington will have no carryover on Red Delicious apples into the next season. For the past few years, the carryover has been very manageable. Still, when the new crop hit the market, there were some old apples for sale at reduced prices. That presence was enough to hold back pricing to some degree on the new crop. When the 2008 crop emerges, it will set the stage for 'a perfect storm' marketing climate. But our 'storm' has now taken the wind out of our sails."
Mr. Allen said that growers whose crops were not damaged in the storm and have good fruit should prepare for the marketing experience of a lifetime. "That is, unless gas is $7 a gallon and consumers cannot afford to drive to stores to shop," he added.
Mr. Allen was referring to the damage to apple orchards resulting from a hailstorm that swept across New York state June 16. Current damage assessments stand at about 6 million to 7 million bushels that could have been damaged during the storm.
Besides apples, particularly hard hit in the storm were strawberries (which had just come into season), cherries, peaches, pears and plums. The storm hit too late in the year for growers to replant other damaged crops.
On June 27, New York Gov. David Paterson requested disaster assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for farms that experienced crop damage, urging the federal government to declare 23 New York counties agricultural disaster areas. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) called on the USDA to quickly approve the governor's request for county-by-county disaster declarations and federal assistance.
"It is such a shame," said Mr. Allen. "This fall will be the first time anyone can remember that Washington will have no carryover on Red Delicious apples into the next season. For the past few years, the carryover has been very manageable. Still, when the new crop hit the market, there were some old apples for sale at reduced prices. That presence was enough to hold back pricing to some degree on the new crop. When the 2008 crop emerges, it will set the stage for 'a perfect storm' marketing climate. But our 'storm' has now taken the wind out of our sails."
Mr. Allen said that growers whose crops were not damaged in the storm and have good fruit should prepare for the marketing experience of a lifetime. "That is, unless gas is $7 a gallon and consumers cannot afford to drive to stores to shop," he added.
