09/12/06 Apple Harvest

Harvest in full swing. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Fruit harvest is in full swing in most areas and the quality of the fruit seems to be pretty good. Gip Redman, field man for Holtzinger is optimistic about this year's harvest. REDMAN: It was going to be a large crop. If we look at last year as being a hundred million, I just never thought it would get even close to that from all the inconsistencies I saw in the various orchards and yet we got there so that attests to the higher densities, the better cultural practices and the new plantings in new areas. Redman says harvesting is moving into full swing. REDMAN: We've put a big dent in the Gala harvest. They're still picking Gala's in the later districts but most of the Gala's are off in the early districts. Some early Golden's, regular Golden's; early Red's are starting and I think you'll start to see some early season Granny's. Some of the newer varieties like Fuji and Honey Crisp are just getting underway. Of course labor continues to be a key issue. REDMAN: Labor is probably the biggest problem followed by the weather being too hot but labor has continued to be a problem. It was a problem in cherries and I think as we get into more and more varieties it's going to become even more acute. Stories are starting to filter in that there are some fruit being left. Whether those are true or not, when start to hear some of that you know that the labor situation is a real problem. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.