Stone Fruit Update

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

With the cherry season nearing the halfway point it’s time to turn attention to some of the other fruit grown here in the NW. BJ Thurlby with the Washington State Fruit Commission gives us an update.

THURLBY: Well the apricot deal is going strong. Sales have been consistent and steady and that’s good on the apricot front and hope that keeps up. The first - the very first, some early variety type fruit is being harvested right now on soft fruit. Really the volume with peaches won’t really kick in until the last couple days in July, last week in July then all the way through August and September. We think we’ve got a nice crop on the trees out there.

And as the fruit will soon start coming off the trees Thurlby says they are gearing up up for a big promotional push as well.

THURLBY: It’s been kind of an exciting deal. Our regionalized promotional programs geared around peaches and nectarines has been pretty strong and we think we’ve got good pull to western Canada and all along the west coast and the mountain states. So we’re looking forward to a good soft fruit season as well.

This years cherry crop is down about 4 million boxes but the market seems to be holding.

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