Issues Important to the Apple Industry

Issue Important to Apple Industry. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.

At this point, it's anyones guess as to how the 2016 Presidential election will turn out but there will of course be a considerable amount of issues that will need to be addressed once all the shouting is over. Todd Fryhover, President of the Washington Apple Commission is sure of one thing.

FRYHOVER: The number one issue remains, and will remain, labor. We have a heavy reliance on labor and the current immigration status isn't helping. It's forcing us into the H2-A program which is very costly and expensive and cumbersome to say the least. so labor remains the number one issue.

He talks about a second concern for the industry.

FRYHOVER: The second issue from the Washington Apple Commission standpoint is the strength of the U.S. dollar. The stronger the U.S. dollar, the more difficult it is for international consumers to purchase our product. That's a major concern. Clearly, as our crops continue to grow in volume and continue to support better diversification with different tastes and textures for consumers, there's an increased need to export more product to international markets.

The other issue that's really our of their control is uncertainty.

FRYHOVER: The weather is nice but who knows what Mother Nature is going to do to use as far as spring weather goes so there's a lot of anticipation how the next two months are going to play out as far as Mother Nature and its impact on the industry so there's a lot of indecision as far as next years crop goes.

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