Good News in a Tough Time

Good News in a Tough Time. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. There are signs of economic recovery but in many ag industries it is still tough going. . Two of the few bright spots currently in agriculture are apples and onions which are both experiencing strong prices according to a new report out from Northwest Farm Credit Services. Apples: At 100.6 million boxes, the smaller than expected 2009/10 Northwest apple crop has been largely positive. Supported by increased fruit size over last year's crop, year-to-date apple movement exceeds the last two seasons in both the domestic and export markets. For the most part, apple prices are firming and have potential to exceed prices set two seasons ago. Higher prices though, are likely to be somewhat offset by poor pack-outs. Sunburn and a damaging freeze during harvest affected apples' quality and storability this year. The wine industry has seen a bit of a down turn even though nationally trends are up. Wine/Vineyard: The majority of wineries in the Northwest had a slow start to the 2009 sales year. In most cases, Northwest wineries finished with an average to strong holiday season, resulting in a modest year overall. A number of wineries saw a decline in sales and a build-up in inventory in 2009, causing them to scale back new production where possible. Northwest FCS provides financing, related services and crop insurance to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commercial fishermen, timber producers, and rural homeowners in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.