2011 Fruit Year In Review

2011 Fruit Year In Review. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Time to take a look back at the stories affecting the Washington State fruit industry and we begin back in January when Washington State Senator, Jerome Delvin said he was glad to be back as part of the State Senate Agriculture and Rural Economic Development Committee.

DELVIN: The issues that are there all the time, a lot of energy and water but I think water is a big deal to agriculture so I’m sure we’ll talk about it in agriculture more than just talking about it the Environment and Water Committee.

Bruce Grim, Executive Director of the Washington State Horticultural Association was looking forward to February 1. That was the day that tree fruit growers from across the state descended on Olympia with one thing on their mind.

GRIM: Well just a reminder that agriculture is of huge import – tree fruit in particular is a enormously important to the state and we think it’s important to keep reminding of that. We have issues that come up all the time that are critical to our growers.

Back in November of 2010, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service shared a finalized pest list with Chinese officials, in response to a market access request from the Asian country. Todd Fryhover, President of the Washington Apple Commission said it was hard to put a timeline of that.

FRYHOVER: We’ve heard as short as 3 years and as long as 7 or 8 but I think the key point is that we have given them the pest list. They now have a document to move forward on access.

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