Apple Industry Update

Apple Industry Update. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Orchards will soon be a flurry of activity as spring arrives in the northwest. In the other Washington there has been a lot of change going on regarding the apple industry according to Nancy Foster, President and CEO of US Apple.

FOSTER: I think the watch word is change. And not to overuse that word but the rulebook is being rewritten in terms of where the power is and who’s making things happen and different strategies and it is the most incredible change that we have seen in probably the last – at least two decades.

Then of course the question becomes…is it good change or bad?

FOSTER: I think for the apple industry there’s some real positives. There’s some significant challenges. This administration and the strong democratic leadership in Congress are very excited about produce, they’re excited about apples, they are very strong on health and nutrition and really the same leadership in the House and Senate that helped to propel apples into major victories in the farm bill is the leadership that’s in charge now.

Foster says that one of the new Ag Secretary’s highest priorities is health and nutrition but she also says there are some challenges to be met as well.

FOSTER: But I think there are areas that are a challenge like environmental issues, pesticide issues. I think the whole trade policy, you know export issue is up in the air and we have to really drive home to the new administration the importance of some of our export programs – we don’t want to cut them.

More tomorrow with US Apple’s Nancy Foster.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.