fruit

Agroforestry as a climate smart practice...yes.  But Keefe Keeley Executive Director of the Savannah Institute, says there are multiple opportunities for farmers implementing agroforestry practices beyond climatic benefits.   “It really about integrating multiple enterprises into the same farm into the same landscape so that can be high value fruit and nut crops that can be timber and non-timber f

According to ERS, the value of U.S. agricultural imports grew an average of 4% a year between fiscal years 2012 and 2022.  Total U.S. agricultural imports rose from $139 billion to $194 billion, with growth concentrated in select commodity groups.  Horticu...

A month-over-month drop in prices received by crop producers led to an overall decline in the latest USDA agricultural prices report.  The overall index was down 2.7% in October while the crop price index was reduced by 4% from the previous month.   ...

In fiscal year 2021, the value of U.S. fruit and vegetable imports rose to a record level.  That record is projected to rise another 9% in FY 2022 (October–September) to $42.6 billion, according to ERS.  Import volumes are also expected to grow 3% in 2022 to 29.4 million metric tons.  T...

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is currently accepting proposals for the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.  Roughly $1.5 million is expected to be available to Ag industry associations, producer groups, processors, commodity commissions, non-profits, for profits, and local government agencies in Oregon.  Funding ...

Senate Bill 5693 was legislation that surprised many in the Washington Ag community this session.  The legislation introduced in Olympia has been referred to as the Slavery Bill, for its requirements that Washington farmers prove they are not using slave labor in their operations.  ...

The Western Growers Association says the Farmers Aid package proposed by the USDA this week falls short meeting the needs of fruit, vegetable and tree nut farmers.  According to a UC Davis study, the direct trade losses for U.S. fruit, vegetable and tree nuts growers conservatively top $2.6 billion...

The Global Food Price Index has increased 2% in the past year.  The most recent monthly record of global food prices by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations averaged 173.5 points, up 2.7% from April 2017.  While the prices of most cereal grains and dairy products continued to increase in April, sugar prices fell further.  Vegetable oil and...

Fruit growers in the Midwest and Northeast are worried as warmer weather is causing their trees to flower early.  It means several weeks of worry for farmers as the potential is there for a hard freeze to move in and kill the flowers on their trees.  Sp...

Washington fruit growers are looking at the long term when it comes to how Hanjin’s bankruptcy might impact the industry in the state.   B.J. Thurlby with the Washington State Fruit Comission said with cherries already shipped and the lack of apples and pears going to South Korea, there’s nothing to worry about in the immediate future.   “When s...