Tree Fruit Optimism
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. With the new year underway, many in agriculture are hoping that 2023 brings us a little more of “normal” when it comes to their livelihoods.
Washington State Tree Fruit Association President, Jon DeVaney says he’s feeling a bit of optimism from growers …
DeVANEY … “I think so. If only because people would not still be in agriculture if they were not optimists. You need to stay hopeful about the future or you would have given up long ago.”
Better weather, DeVaney says would really help …
DeVANEY … “I think that the 2022 weather challenges were significant and daunting. I hear a lot of hopeful optimism from growers that 2023 may be a more normal weather pattern, is the hope. But having had two strange weather years in a row, there are worries that at any time we could get more surprises.”
And that, DeVaney says could translate to the crop itself …
DeVANEY … “There’s a lot of optimism that we can have a return to more normal sized crops, and fewer challenges with managing the workforce in either cold or hot weather as we’ve had over the last two years.”
But weather isn’t the only challenge …
DeVANEY … “The broader economy is a big unknown and I would say right now there’s a lot of political unknowns as well about what kind of public policy environment we will be facing.”
DeVaney says there are quite a few issues and complicated discussion going on in Olympia this year that will have an impact on the industry.
