Taking A Look Back

It's time to take a look back at the year in the fruit industry.

Starting the year was Ray Schmitten with Schmitten Orchards in Cashmere, Washington who grows heirloom pears as do most pear producers in the northwest. Heirloom pears have not changed much since they were first introduced and in some cases that can be several hundred years.

SCHMITTEN: I think we've got to remind our marketers that, that our product is an heirloom product. It doesn't produce per acre as much as apples and we should be demanding more in the marketplace for that box of pears. We think the most important thing you can do is increase consumption of pears. That's going to make us the most money.

Jim McFerson, manager of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and speaking to a gathering of cherry producers said that a huge goal for research is to be able to pick 10 tons of something like cherries at a specific size.

McFERSON: Twenty years ago we were in pretty good shape but it looks like it's going to be 50-million and that's because you planted so many acres. A lot more trees. A lot more productive varieties and we spread the marketing season out so what we are facing now in terms of research is a heck of a lot different than it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago just like it is in the growing and export side of things.

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