01/23/07 Ups & downs

Downside and Upside. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. After last weeks freeze in California as much as half the orange crop was ruined. That downside for California growers is an upside for Northwest fruit producers according to Dan Kelly of the Washington Growers Clearing House. KELLY: Our most recent shipment report that came through was the highest shipment week we've had all season since September or so and higher than the last two years. Kelly notes that these higher numbers stand alone since there are no major retailer promotions currently going on. KELLY: For the next month or so until we start to see southern hemisphere fruit we kind of have an open window to move more fruit or get more promotions we probably wouldn't have in the past. It's unfortunate for the citrus growers because we were there with the hail on the pears and some of the apples. What goes around comes around to everybody. And according to Kelly, higher prices are not the result. KELLY: I don't know that our prices are going to increase that much as their going to stay more stable if that makes any sense. Traditionally what'll happen is the price starts in fall and it stays at one level and then it slowly creeps down until we hit the end of the season and then if we're short at the end of the season it begins to creep back up. But we're not seeing that creep down portion. New figures are due out later in the week. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.