Fruit Tree Losses and 2012 Hop Forecast

The early big freeze of 2010 is still a cause of concern for orchardists in central Washington. Tim Smith, WSU tree fruit specialist, talked with growers at the North Central Washington Stone Fruit Day about the expected loss of yet more fruit trees this coming season due to the damage they received during the early November 2010 ice and snow storm. Hundreds of acres of young trees were lost out of the state’s tree fruit orchards. Although some growers experienced what could be considered major losses that year, the industry as a whole still managed to turn out large apple, cherry, and pear crops. Orchards in North Central Washington fared better than those in the southern parts of the state.

The state’s Hop crop will remain stable through 2012 with no major changes likely happening until 2013. Ann George, Administrator of the Washington Hop Commission explains.

GEORGE: The crop is still largely contracted under the five year contracts that were initiated starting with 2008 so there may be some minor acreage changes in 2012, but it will be relatively stable with what we saw in eleven as far as acreage is concerned. The big change is likely to happen in thirteen when those five year contracts from 2008 expire and we have a readjustment in those because we continue to have a world wide surplus of alpha. Some of the aroma and flavor varieties continue to have some active contracting but as far as the alpha varieties current surplus is about equivalent to a full year’s good crop worldwide.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.