Washington apple crop pounded by violent hail
Washington apple crop pounded by violent hail
While damage to Washington's cherry crop is expected to be minimal, predictions are that the state's apple crop did not fare so well following a violent rain and hail storm which pounded the Prescott, WA, area May 20.
Broetje Orchards appears to have been the epicenter of the storm, and officials at the firm are saying that as much as 50 percent of the company's apples may have sustained damage. According to an account in the Tri-City Herald, Broetje Orchards Grower Manager Joe Shelton said that fruit was "bruised, split in half and knocked off the trees."
Proprietor Ralph Broetje clearly has a full plate as damage is assessed. "We're still in the middle of evaluations," he told The Produce News. "We should have more information on [May 26]."
Broetje Orchards is one of the larger privately owned orchards in the world, and the company grows both apples and cherries.
Jim Kelley, a board member of the Washington State Fruit Commission and consultant for Sage Processing and Valley Fruit, was in the field at press time. "The apple damage will be significant [in the Snake River growing area]," he said. "Anything over a percent or two will be significant."
Mr. Kelley continued, "There are only a few growers in that area, but the ones that were hit were hit hard." He agreed with Mr. Broetje's assessment that the company probably took the hardest hit from the storm.
Mr. Kelley said that hail damage is hard to assess, and added that he was unsure just how markings on apple skins will or will not recover.
According to Mr. Kelley, growers of Concord and wine grapes also suffered hail damage in the area.
B.J. Thurlby, president of the Washington State Fruit Commission and program manager of Northwest Cherry Growers, said that cherries will sustain minimal damage - approximately percent - due to the storm. "Cherries that were hit by hail will fall off the trees," he told The Produce News. "[The loss] was incredibly minimal. We have a full crop out there."
He indicated that cherry blocks in the hail-damaged area were smaller in acreage, and the fruit left on the trees should size well, compensating for any loss. Mr. Kelley agreed. "There were just additional grade-outs that won't make it to market."
Broetje Orchards appears to have been the epicenter of the storm, and officials at the firm are saying that as much as 50 percent of the company's apples may have sustained damage. According to an account in the Tri-City Herald, Broetje Orchards Grower Manager Joe Shelton said that fruit was "bruised, split in half and knocked off the trees."
Proprietor Ralph Broetje clearly has a full plate as damage is assessed. "We're still in the middle of evaluations," he told The Produce News. "We should have more information on [May 26]."
Broetje Orchards is one of the larger privately owned orchards in the world, and the company grows both apples and cherries.
Jim Kelley, a board member of the Washington State Fruit Commission and consultant for Sage Processing and Valley Fruit, was in the field at press time. "The apple damage will be significant [in the Snake River growing area]," he said. "Anything over a percent or two will be significant."
Mr. Kelley continued, "There are only a few growers in that area, but the ones that were hit were hit hard." He agreed with Mr. Broetje's assessment that the company probably took the hardest hit from the storm.
Mr. Kelley said that hail damage is hard to assess, and added that he was unsure just how markings on apple skins will or will not recover.
According to Mr. Kelley, growers of Concord and wine grapes also suffered hail damage in the area.
B.J. Thurlby, president of the Washington State Fruit Commission and program manager of Northwest Cherry Growers, said that cherries will sustain minimal damage - approximately percent - due to the storm. "Cherries that were hit by hail will fall off the trees," he told The Produce News. "[The loss] was incredibly minimal. We have a full crop out there."
He indicated that cherry blocks in the hail-damaged area were smaller in acreage, and the fruit left on the trees should size well, compensating for any loss. Mr. Kelley agreed. "There were just additional grade-outs that won't make it to market."
