California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Economics

  • Pandemic Conditions and Growing Vegetarian Population Increases Fresh Fruit Demand in India

    India’s market year (MY) 2020/21 apple and pear production are estimated at 2.3 million metric tons (MMT) and 305,000 metric tons (MT), respectively, as unfavorable weather conditions during the flowering stage have led to reduced yields from MY 2019/20. Apple and pear imports for 2020/21 are forecast at 0.24 MMT and 22,500 MT, respectively. Table grape production is expected to marginally increase to 2.3 MMT, while Indian table grape exports are expected to decline, largely to meet domestic demand. Fresh deciduous fruit demand remains stable, and the COVID-19 pandemic that influenced consumer behavioral changes will continue to drive fruit consumption through both online and physical retail.

    Indian apple production is limited to the northern states of Jammu and Kashmir with a 70 percent market share, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 21.5-25 percent, and Uttarakhand with six percent share. The Northeastern hill states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Sikkim also produce small apple quantities. Read the full report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service HERE.

  • Argentina Lowers Export Taxes on Many Specialty Crops

    The Government of Argentina recently announced adjustments to export taxes on many specialty crops, including apples, pears, citrus fruits, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, nuts, and alfalfa intended to improve the international competiveness of these products.

    Argentine Government Seeks to Boost Exports of Specialty Crops:

    On Thursday, December 31, 2020 the Government of Argentina published Decree 1060/2020 which made adjustments to the export tax rates for many specialty crops as well as some manufactured goods. After several rounds of export tax changes in recent years the government is attempting to standardize export tax rates for many products at 0%, 3%, 4.5%, and 9% to avoid varying export tax rates among similar products. Previous export tax changes had given some products exchange-rate linked export taxes that had eroded in value as the Argentine peso devalued against the dollar.

    The stated rationale for the policy change is to encourage exports of added-value products and products whose increased production will result in higher levels of employment, and for which increasing exports won’t raise food costs. The government also hopes to encourage investment in these same sectors. Major structural issues such as high fixed operating costs, lack of investment, and currency controls have reduced Argentine competitiveness in many specialty crops over the years, so this measure will be limited in its capacity to boost exports in the short run. Most fruits and vegetables have had export tax rates lowered from 5% to a 0%.

    The list below, by HS Code Chapter, summarizes Annex 1 of Decree 1060/2020 where information on tax rates for specific products can be found. Export tax rates for most major field crops were unchanged, though the decree mentioned the need to adjust rates for certain commodities currently regulated by an expiring decree. Care should be taken to note if a specific HS code is listed in this decree or past decrees.

    Chapter 1 – Live Horses, Cattle, Primates, Dolphins, Pet Birds – 9%;

    Chapter 2 – Beef, Horse, Poultry Meat – 9%; Sheep and Goat Meat – 0%;

    Chapter 3 – Various Fish – 9%; Tilapia, Trout, Carp – 0%;

    Chapter 4 – Fluid Milk – 9%; Ultra High Temperature Milk, Yogurt, Butter, Cheese – 4.5%; Honey – 0%;

    Chapter 5 – Semen & Embryos – 4.5%;

    Chapter 6 – Flowers and bulbs – 4.5%;

    Chapter 7 – Tomatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Cucumbers, Chickpeas, Beans, Asparagus, Eggplant, Celery, Peppers, Spinach, Artichokes, Olives, Pumpkins, Squash, Potatoes, Sweet Corn, Onions, Mushrooms, Garlic, Vegetable Seeds – 0%;

    Chapter 8 – Nuts, Plantains, Pineapples, Avocados, Mangos, Oranges, Mandarins, Clementines, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Watermelon, Papayas, Apples, Pears, Quince, Sour Cherries, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Kiwis, Passionfruit, Persimmons – 0%;

    Chapter 9 – Coffee, Pepper, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Mace, Cardamom, Saffron, Turmeric – 4.5%; Tea, Paprika, anise, cumin, coriander – -0%;

    Chapter 10 – “Other” Wheat, Rye, Barley, Corn, Oats, Sorghum – 12%; Grain seeds for planting, Buckwheat, Millet – 4.5%; Quinoa – 0 %

    Chapter 11 – Malt – 9%; Flaked Grains and Germs– 4.5%; Buckwheat flower – 0%

    Chapter 12 – Seeds of Soybeans, Peanuts, and Sunflowerseed for planting, Ginseng, Sugarbeets, Sugarcane – 4.5%; Hops, Alfalfa pellets – 0%

    Chapter 13 – Various Gums, Saps, & Pectins – 4.5%
    Chapter 14     – Bamboo, Vegetable Plaiting Materials – 4.5%
    Chapter 15     – Glycerol 9%; Olive oil – 0%;
    Chapter 16     – Sausages, Hams, Other Prepared & Preserved Meats, Sardines, Tuna – 4.5%

    Chapter 17 – Refined Beet & Cane Sugar, Glucose and Fructose Syrups, Non-Chocolate Confectionary – 4.5%

    Chapter 18 – Chocolate ingredients – 4.5%
    Chapter 19     – Cereals, Pastas, Tapioca, Cuscus – 4.5%

    Chapter 20 – Pickled Cucumbers & Mushrooms, Preserved fruits and vegetables – 4.5%; Preserved Peas, Olives, Tomatoes, Fruit Juices – 0%

    Chapter 21 – Coffee Extracts, Yeasts, Sauces, Food Preparations and Ingredients – 4.5%; Tea & Yerba Mate Extracts – 0%

    Chapter 22 – Mineral Waters, Beer, Champagne, Wine, Liquor, Vinegar – 4.5% Chapter 23 – Livestock Feed 12%; Pet Food – 4.5%
    Chapter 24     – Tobaccos 12%, Cigarettes & Cigars – 4.5%
    Chapter 41     – Hides, skins, and leather – 4.5%

    Chapter 51- Wool – 4.5%, Yarn – 3.0%

    Chapter 52 – Raw Cotton – 12%; Carded Cotton and cotton waste – 4.5%; Cotton thread and yarn – 3.0%

    — By Benjamin Boroughs, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

  • Argentina Lowers Export Taxes on Many Specialty Crops

    The Government of Argentina recently announced adjustments to export taxes on many specialty crops, including apples, pears, citrus fruits, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, nuts, and alfalfa intended to improve the international competiveness of these products.

    Argentine Government Seeks to Boost Exports of Specialty Crops:

    On Thursday, December 31, 2020 the Government of Argentina published Decree 1060/2020 which made adjustments to the export tax rates for many specialty crops as well as some manufactured goods. After several rounds of export tax changes in recent years the government is attempting to standardize export tax rates for many products at 0%, 3%, 4.5%, and 9% to avoid varying export tax rates among similar products. Previous export tax changes had given some products exchange-rate linked export taxes that had eroded in value as the Argentine peso devalued against the dollar.

    The stated rationale for the policy change is to encourage exports of added-value products and products whose increased production will result in higher levels of employment, and for which increasing exports won’t raise food costs. The government also hopes to encourage investment in these same sectors. Major structural issues such as high fixed operating costs, lack of investment, and currency controls have reduced Argentine competitiveness in many specialty crops over the years, so this measure will be limited in its capacity to boost exports in the short run. Most fruits and vegetables have had export tax rates lowered from 5% to a 0%.

    The list below, by HS Code Chapter, summarizes Annex 1 of Decree 1060/2020 where information on tax rates for specific products can be found. Export tax rates for most major field crops were unchanged, though the decree mentioned the need to adjust rates for certain commodities currently regulated by an expiring decree. Care should be taken to note if a specific HS code is listed in this decree or past decrees.

    Chapter 1 – Live Horses, Cattle, Primates, Dolphins, Pet Birds – 9%;

    Chapter 2 – Beef, Horse, Poultry Meat – 9%; Sheep and Goat Meat – 0%;

    Chapter 3 – Various Fish – 9%; Tilapia, Trout, Carp – 0%;

    Chapter 4 – Fluid Milk – 9%; Ultra High Temperature Milk, Yogurt, Butter, Cheese – 4.5%; Honey – 0%;

    Chapter 5 – Semen & Embryos – 4.5%;

    Chapter 6 – Flowers and bulbs – 4.5%;

    Chapter 7 – Tomatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Cucumbers, Chickpeas, Beans, Asparagus, Eggplant, Celery, Peppers, Spinach, Artichokes, Olives, Pumpkins, Squash, Potatoes, Sweet Corn, Onions, Mushrooms, Garlic, Vegetable Seeds – 0%;

    Chapter 8 – Nuts, Plantains, Pineapples, Avocados, Mangos, Oranges, Mandarins, Clementines, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Watermelon, Papayas, Apples, Pears, Quince, Sour Cherries, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Kiwis, Passionfruit, Persimmons – 0%;

    Chapter 9 – Coffee, Pepper, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Mace, Cardamom, Saffron, Turmeric – 4.5%; Tea, Paprika, anise, cumin, coriander – -0%;

    Chapter 10 – “Other” Wheat, Rye, Barley, Corn, Oats, Sorghum – 12%; Grain seeds for planting, Buckwheat, Millet – 4.5%; Quinoa – 0 %

    Chapter 11 – Malt – 9%; Flaked Grains and Germs– 4.5%; Buckwheat flower – 0%

    Chapter 12 – Seeds of Soybeans, Peanuts, and Sunflowerseed for planting, Ginseng, Sugarbeets, Sugarcane – 4.5%; Hops, Alfalfa pellets – 0%

    Chapter 13 – Various Gums, Saps, & Pectins – 4.5%
    Chapter 14     – Bamboo, Vegetable Plaiting Materials – 4.5%
    Chapter 15     – Glycerol 9%; Olive oil – 0%;
    Chapter 16     – Sausages, Hams, Other Prepared & Preserved Meats, Sardines, Tuna – 4.5%

    Chapter 17 – Refined Beet & Cane Sugar, Glucose and Fructose Syrups, Non-Chocolate Confectionary – 4.5%

    Chapter 18 – Chocolate ingredients – 4.5%
    Chapter 19     – Cereals, Pastas, Tapioca, Cuscus – 4.5%

    Chapter 20 – Pickled Cucumbers & Mushrooms, Preserved fruits and vegetables – 4.5%; Preserved Peas, Olives, Tomatoes, Fruit Juices – 0%

    Chapter 21 – Coffee Extracts, Yeasts, Sauces, Food Preparations and Ingredients – 4.5%; Tea & Yerba Mate Extracts – 0%

    Chapter 22 – Mineral Waters, Beer, Champagne, Wine, Liquor, Vinegar – 4.5% Chapter 23 – Livestock Feed 12%; Pet Food – 4.5%
    Chapter 24     – Tobaccos 12%, Cigarettes & Cigars – 4.5%
    Chapter 41     – Hides, skins, and leather – 4.5%

    Chapter 51- Wool – 4.5%, Yarn – 3.0%

    Chapter 52 – Raw Cotton – 12%; Carded Cotton and cotton waste – 4.5%; Cotton thread and yarn – 3.0%

    — By Benjamin Boroughs, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

  • Costa Rican Orange Production Declines (Major Juice Importer)

    Costa Rica’s orange production is forecast to decline to 285,000 metric tons (MT) in Marketing Year (MY) 2020/2021. It is expected to reach 290,000 MT in MY2019/2020. Delays in the harvest caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in loss of fruit at the time of harvest during MY2019/2020. The industry had to make considerable investments in the application of sanitary protocols and new infrastructure to limit the spread of the disease among workers. Most of these measures are now in place for the upcoming harvest. Many of the workers come from Nicaragua for the harvest. The industry has worked closely with the local authorities to allow workers to enter Costa Rica under strict sanitary protocols. The United States is Costa Rica’s main destination for its orange juice (purchasing 75 percent of total exports in 2019), followed by the European Union, and China. Costa Rican orange juice enters the United States duty free under the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement. 

    COSTA RICA: ORANGE JUICE PRODUCTION AND TRADE

    Costa Rica’s orange production is concentrated in the northern part of the Alajuela province, around Los Chiles, Guatuso and Upala, and in the northern part of Guanacaste, near the border with Nicaragua in an area known as Santa Cecilia. Two companies, TicoFrut and Del Oro, control most of the production and processing of oranges in the country. TicoFrut is the largest company in the sector. TicoFrut’s plantations are located primarily in the province of Alajuela near the border with Nicaragua, and in Nicaragua. Del Oro’s plantations are in the province of Guanacaste, near the border with Nicaragua.

    Oranges are also grown in other regions of the country including Acosta, near the Central Valley, and Nandayure in Guanacaste. However, oranges from those areas are mostly sold as fresh fruit in the local market. In addition, there are some medium and small size independent producers. While the larger operations have been stable and plan their activities with a long-term horizon, the smaller independent producers tend to enter or exit the market in response to short term price fluctuations. The harvest takes place mainly from January to May, with peak production reached in March and April. The majority of the oranges produced in Costa Rica are processed for juice concentrate for the export market. A relatively small volume of fresh fruit is sold for local consumption, and the processing plants also sell small volumes of juice to local clients.

    One of the two processing companies has orange plantations in Nicaragua, near the border. Growing conditions are favorable in that area, and land prices and labor costs are generally lower. The local industry has partnered with Nicaraguan businesses to plant orange groves in Nicaragua. The area planted is not expected to grow significantly in Nicaragua or Costa Rica at this time, as the company prefers to improve its current operation through replanting and investments in irrigation. This company has a plan to increase area planted slowly. According to the plan, the company will increase area by 230 hectares next year. According to data from the Government of Costa Rica, the country imported 56,644 MT of fresh oranges from Nicaragua in 2019, compared to 71,907 MT during 2018. Imports from Nicaragua during 2020 reached 69,800 MT through October. Oranges from Nicaraguan plantations are trucked to Costa Rica for processing at TicoFrut’s plant located in Muelle, San Carlos.

    Local industry estimates area planted at around 21,000 hectares (ha) and 7.4 million orange trees, including the area planted on the Nicaraguan side of the border. The Government of Costa Rica estimate is slightly higher at 23,000 ha. However, there is unconfirmed information indicating that the Del Oro company may be reducing its area planted as a result of citrus greening disease. So, at this time, total area could be even lower than the 21,000 ha. estimate.

    The number of trees is gradually increasing as farmers are renovating their plantations with the “Flying Dragon” pattern, which allows for a higher number of trees per hectare, easier farm management and lower associated costs. The “Flying Dragon” pattern is planted at 830 to 900 trees/ha, as compared to a range of 312 to 444 trees/ha for other varieties. As this pattern takes hold, the number of trees should increase in the next few years, as producers replant or renovate their farms using this variety. The main producers are renovating older plantations with new trees, rather than increasing area planted. This process is expected to result in higher future production, without major changes in total area planted.

    The citrus greening disease, which was identified in 2011 in Costa Rica, remains a major concern for producers and has put a limit to the expansion of the industry because of the uncertainty it creates among growers. According to industry sources, the disease has now spread throughout most of the country’s growing areas. The disease is difficult to manage, as it increases production costs, which could result in losses. So far, the largest grower has been able to contain the disease by establishing strict controls including constant farm surveillance, inspection of all farms, and eradication of 100 percent of the affected plants. The local industry uses agrochemicals and biological controls (a wasp that feeds on the vector of the disease, called Tamarixia Radiata), as part of their preventive measures. Although the disease has not caused significant losses to the largest producer, one of the major companies has reportedly suffered more from the effects of the disease, which has resulted in reduced or abandoned areas. Small producers have suffered heavier losses from its effects as well.

    Total production is forecast to decrease by 5,000 MT in MY2020/2021, to 285,000 MT. The lower expected production is related to the strong rains that affected some of the production areas during the flowering period. Also, due to the lower availability of workers during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the agronomical activities normally conducted to assist the plantations during the flowering period, were not carried out on time. The COVID-19 pandemic has also complicated farm management. For instance, supervisory visits to the Nicaraguan plantations were suspended because of the closing of the border. Sick workers and their close contacts had to remain under quarantine when there were outbreaks at the farms.

    Costa Rica exports the majority of its orange production as frozen orange juice concentrate, but also exports non-frozen concentrate juice. According to information from the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Board (PROCOMER), during calendar year 2019 juice exports to all destinations amounted to 32,897 MT valued at $50 million. This compares to 36,936 MT valued at $68 million during 2018. Data available for January-October 2020 show a decline in volume and value, reaching 24,894 MT and $41.7 million, respectively.

    The United States continues to be Costa Rica’s main destination for orange juice exports. Exports to the United States reached 19,586 MT valued at $37.7 million during 2019. During the period January – October 2020, exports to the U.S. amounted to 17,449 MT valued at $34.8 million. The main destination in the European Union is the Netherlands. Exports to that country in 2018 were 7,954 MT, 6,774 MT in 2019, and 5,241 MT during January – October 2020. Exports to China fell to 791 MT during January – October of 2020, after reaching a record of 4,209 MT in 2019.

    Costa Rican orange juice enters the United States duty free under the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement. — By Victor Gonzalez, USDA-Foreign Agricultural Service

  • New ‘Prime-Ark® Horizon’ Blackberry

    A new blackberry has been released by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA), named Prime-Ark® Horizon. This is the sixth public primocane-fruiting variety from the UA breeding program.

     Key items to note about Prime-Ark® Horizon:

    • Primocane fruiting, thorny
    • A complement to Prime-Ark® 45 for commercial production for primocane fruit
    • High floricane crop potential
    • Primocane berries are large, with larger fruit size potential than other primocane-fruiting varieties in summer heat and potential primocane crop extension beyond the Prime-Ark® 45 season
    • Berries are very firm in storage, and otherwise comparable to Prime-Ark® 45 in postharvest potential
    • Soluble solids averaging 10% and titratable acidity 0.92%, providing good sugar/acid balance
    Prime-Ark® Horizon with extended fruiting on the primocane, late August, 2020, Arkansas.

    The majority of the testing of Prime-Ark® Horizon was done at the location of its development, the UA Fruit Research Station, Clarksville, AR, with data and observations collected from plants over 8+ years. The cross for Prime-Ark® Horizon was made in 2008, and it was selected in 2010.  Additional data and observations were collected by Josh Beam at a Dole Berry test site near Lincolnton, NC (six years), and Karen Blaedow, North Carolina State University Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River, NC (two years). I greatly appreciate the testing results attained by these colleagues. I have included comments from their findings in the following discussion.

    Ripening: Floricane first harvest is a few days later than Prime-Ark® 45 and near that of Ouachita (June 12). Floricane harvest period averaged 40 days. Primocane first harvest averaged August 4, just before Prime-Ark® 45. Primocane fruiting can potentially extend until mid-October, providing a fruiting period of over 60 days.

    Josh often found floricane harvest date to be similar to that observed in Arkansas. Primocane harvests began a little earlier than Arkansas, ranging from mid to late July. He harvested primocane fruit to late September or mid-October depending on the year.  Karen’s first harvest for primocane fruit was August 6 in 2019.

    Berry:  Prime-Ark® Horizon’s berry weight averaged 7.8 g overall for floricanes. Berries were often up to 10 g for floricanes. The primocane berries averaged 7.3 g. The floricane and primocane average weights are much closer than other primocane-fruiting varieties, suggesting more berry weight stability in summer heat during primocane flowering and fruiting.

    Josh found floricane berries to range from 9-11 g, and Karen’s planting averaged over 13 g in 2019. Josh found primocane berries to be 11-15 g, equally as large as floricane berries. This is unusual as primocane berry weight in southern locations is typically associated with smaller berries due to the impact of heat on fruit set and development.

    Berry shape was noted to vary with Prime-Ark® Horizon, and in some years curved berries were observed in most test locations. Primocane double berries were not seen, as is common with Prime-Ark® 45 in Arkansas, due to heat effects. This further suggests some heat tolerance for Prime-Ark® Horizon. However, temperatures above 90oF were observed to occasionally result in primocane flower death with Prime-Ark® Horizon, so full heat tolerance is not implied.

    Floricane berry along with primocane flower buds present, late June in Arkansas.

    Yield: Prime-Ark® Horizon has very high yield potential on floricanes, and exceeded yield of Natchez in some years. Floricane yields have exceeded 30,000 lb./acre in research plots usually in the year after planting.  Floricane yield is influenced by the degree of primocane fruiting the prior year. More primocane fruit production often equates to lower floricane yields the following season. Crop control with pruning is strongly advised to balance crop, particularly in the first year of floricane fruiting if no primocane crop is produced in the planting year.  Primocane yields ranged from 3,000-9,000 lb./acre depending on year and environment.

    Josh reported very high yields also, with over 2,500 flats/acre on floricanes, and then another 1,500 flats per acre on primocanes (a flat has 4.5 lb. weight). Cane management will likely be a key component to achieving full yield potential and consistency.

    Flavor:  Flavor has consistently been rated good with light aromatics over many years of evaluations. As with most blackberry varieties, Prime-Ark® Horizon can have variation in sweetness.  Berries were noted at times to be tart, particularly when very high floricane crop was experienced. The overall average soluble solid content was 10% (ranging from 9-11%). Titratable acidity averaged 0.9% (ranging from 0.8-1%), which is within the “reduced acidity” target of the UA breeding program.

    Josh consistently noted the fruit to be sweet over many years of observation, with soluble solids content of 10% or higher. Karen found fruit to have a pleasant flavor but at times variable.

    Postharvest: Storage for 7 days has been comparable to Prime-Ark® 45 in reddening/reversion. It has also shown potential for longer-term storage particularly in the retention of firmness. In addition to excellent firmness in storage, leakage and decay have been among the best measured in the Arkansas program.

    Plants:  Prime-Ark® Horizon plants have shown good health, except when excessive floricane yields were experienced that resulted in reduced floricane leaf size as well as upward leaf curling. No orange rust nor anthracnose were observed on Prime-Ark® Horizon.  Winter hardiness has been comparable to Ouachita, and has shown very limited winter injury to a low of 1oF. Spring freeze damage has not been observed. Chilling requirement is unknown, but is anticipated to be approximately 300 hours.

    Plant vigor can be high, and this can result in extended primocanes with long fruiting laterals. Overall, Prime-Ark® Horizon has reduced thorns compared to Prime-Ark® 45. Thorn density on canes is 45% lower than Prime-Ark® 45 but density is similar on laterals and leaf petioles. Josh noted high vigor and commented that primocane management would have to be worked out to attain maximum yield. Karen found Prime-Ark® Horizon to be one of the more vigorous varieties in her trial. — By John R. Clark, University of Arkansas

  • What Consumers Like about Fresh-Market Blackberries

    At the University of Arkansas System (UA System) Division of Agriculture, 80 consumers looked at and tasted fresh-market blackberries to help us determine attributes they liked. The consumers looked at individual blackberries and preferred oblong, large blackberries as opposed to round or small (see the figure below).

    Consumers also looked at blackberries in clamshells and preferred to purchase clamshells containing larger blackberries or clamshells without blackberries with red drupelet reversion (see the Figure below).

    Percent of consumers (n=81) that ranked clamshells of blackberries as most preferred for different size berries (A)z and different amounts of red drupelet reversion (B)y.
    z Clamshell ‘735’ had about 22 10-g to 12-g berries, and ‘916’ had about 50 4-g to 5-g berries.
    y Clamshell ‘942’ had 0% of the blackberries with red drupelet reversion, ‘516’ had about 25%, and ‘378’ had 65%.

    Consumers then tasted six UA system cultivars (Caddo, Natchez, Osage, Ouachita, Ponca, and Prime-Ark®Traveler) and liked Ponca, Osage, Caddo, and Natchez the most. Ponca (10% soluble solids and 0.8% titratable acidity) was highly rated for sweetness, overall flavor, and overall impression. Understanding what consumers like about fresh-market blackberries provides blackberry breeders and blackberry growers with information to advance retail sale. — By Renee Threlfall, Research Scientist, Dept of Food Science, University of Arkansas

  • Drier La Niña Winter Conditions Can Contribute To Sudden Freezes

    California Avocado Commission — Although the California avocado growing regions are expected to experience a moderate La Niña phase with warmer average temperatures through spring 2021, the lower rainfall amounts associated with this climate phase can lead to sudden cold spells or freezes. As Dr. Ben Faber noted in a recent blog post, some of California’s most severe freezes have occurred during weak La Niña phases.

    Advection and radiation freezes pose the most threat to California avocado groves. Advection freezes are caused by the movement of arctic air into the region. Radiation freezes occur at night when clear skies and calm conditions are present that allow cold pockets of air to settle in low areas of the grove.

    To prepare for potential frosts or freezes, it’s important to remember that different prevention measures may be used for a frost versus a freeze. A frost is caused when objects cool at night and radiate their heat loss, thus chilling the surrounding air. In Southern California, warm air is typically close to the ground due to a low ceiling, thus causing a temperature inversion that protects orchards. However, windy conditions can disrupt this inversion and press cold air to the ground. In comparison, a freeze occurs when cold air moves in and the air temperature decreases at both high and low levels.

    • To prevent damage when cold weather events are in the forecast, consider the following.
    • To protect against frost or freeze, orchard heaters can be used to distribute heat. The downside of heaters is the cost of running them and possible fire hazards.
    • Wind machines should only be used in frost, not freeze, conditions and should not be used when it is windy. This economical option can be paired with orchard heaters to improve effectiveness.
    • If frost threatens and no temperature inversion is present, the best practice is to run microsprinklers during the day and turn off the water prior to sunset. If the temperature drops below freezing, restart the water and run it until sunrise. If ice forms on the fruit or leaves, heat will be released as the ice melts and protect the plants.
    • If watering the entire grove prior to a cold weather event is cost prohibitive, it is recommended that growers opt to water only those portions of their groves that tend to be coldest.

    If your grove is affected by a frost/freeze event, please view Post-freeze Avocado Grove Management on the California Avocado Commission’s website. For more complete information, visit the Commission’s online library of frost/freeze protection articles.

  • Using Satellites to Improve Sustainability, Yield

    Two of the nation’s great agricultural regions are the focus of new research that aims to head off emerging threats and improve sustainability.

    Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are joining colleagues to create and use artificial intelligence to help farmers in the Colorado River Basin and Salinas Valley, CA, improve their management of irrigation, fertilization, and pests. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture funded the University of California, Riverside-led project with a 5-year, $10 million grant.

    “This project will integrate multiple satellite and meteorological data sets to help farmers in the Southwestern United States,” said Ray Anderson, a research soil scientist with the ARS Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit in Riverside. Anderson leads the ARS portion of the study, working with ARS scientists Todd Skaggs and Andrew French.

    ARS has three primary roles in the project: To calculate project area crop water use and anomalies with crop water use across the entire region; develop tools that help growers avoid salinity damage while minimizing the leaching of fertilizer; and to gather field data to validate satellite algorithms.

    Researchers will take advantage of advanced satellite technology to provide more frequent, detailed information to farmers than ever before. The plan is to integrate high-resolution commercial satellite data with established government satellite platforms and meteorological data.

    A major advance with this work will be the use of daily, high-resolution (12-foot) satellite imagery, Anderson said. Previously, data have only been available every 1-2 weeks at 60- to 100-foot resolution and were too infrequent or coarse to provide timely and actionable information to farmers.

    “By combining the new satellite data with artificial intelligence, we will be able to discover and create tools that will help farmers pinpoint areas that need better irrigation, nutrient, and pest management,” Anderson said.

    “One of the major advantages to this project is that the outputs – recommendations and highlights on a smartphone app – will be accessible to all farmers,” he said. “Previously, farmers had to pay for aircraft and specialized processing to get this level of imagery and detail. Soon, high resolution satellite imagery, machine learning, and cloud processing will be available to smaller producers in one easy-to-use tool. These algorithms will help farmers with their field scouting so that they can catch problems early, before significant yield reductions occur.”

    Agriculture in the Colorado River Basin and Salinas Valley employs more than 500,000 people and generates roughly $12 billion annually in revenue. Farmers in the regions grow fruits and vegetables that are shipped around the country all year round, particularly in winter.

    Water availability and use top the researchers’ priority list because prolonged drought has reduced agricultural water availability in the southwestern United States.

    “These valleys consume large amounts of irrigation water, but the amount and quality of irrigation water is decreasing,” Anderson said. “It is important to use existing supplies more efficiently and to protect water sources from nutrient and salinity contamination that can come from poor irrigation management.” — By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications.

  • How Berry Growers Put Dairies’ Plentiful Waste Products to Use

    Dairy farmers generate nutrients in the form of cattle manure. Neighboring raspberry and blueberry farmers import nutrients in the form of fertilizer to maximize production.

    To improve the nutrient loop, Washington State University assembled a team of scientists to study how berry growers can put dairies’ plentiful waste product to a use in their fields. “We want to connect those industries,” said Chris Benedict, a WSU Extension specialist.“If it works, then that will lower the risk of nutrients entering into the environment, encourage farmers in different industries to work together closely, and hopefully help everyone economically.”

    The project required scientists who are familiar with fertilizers, as well as food scientists, economists, and small fruit specialists. WSU has experts in every field, and the team came together to do the work. The results of the project can be found on WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) web site.

    The main concern about using biofertilizers on food crops is the potential of introducing foodborne pathogens. Dairy manure is a good source of nutrients for crops, but could potentially carry foodborne pathogens. To prevent illness, dairy manure is subjected to different treatments prior to field application to reduce pathogen levels and meet safety standards.

    “There has to be zero risk for berry farmers,” Benedict said. “We were pretty sure the process is safe, but we needed to prove that. So working with food scientists was key. And we had to make sure the cost/benefit worked out, since farmers are running businesses.”

    Meijun Zhu, professor in the WSU School of Food Science, performed food safety testing, while Joe Cook, associate professor in the WSU School of Economic Sciences, examined economic feasibility.

    Benedict works with small fruit producers and has collaborated with dairy farmers on projects focused on anaerobic digestion, as well as nutrient recovery technologies that generate biofertilizers derived from dairy manure. The combined processes have shown a significant reduction in foodborne pathogens in previous research.

    Considering the Economic Impact

    Biofertilizers are a relatively new product, so there isn’t much market research available, Cook said. The economics team designed a survey for local berry farmers to find out who would use them and how much they would be willing to pay.

    “Not surprisingly, cost was a major factor, the less the cost the more likely farmers were to switch,” Cook said. “The survey also instructed growers to assume the product is safe for food crops in the hypothetical, but they still commented on that aspect repeatedly. Clearly people are very concerned about that aspect of the project.”

    Keeping People Safe

    To ensure human safety, researchers had to test the biofertilizers in the field. Benedict collaborated with local small fruit farmers who donated parts of their fields for testing plots. The team applied multiple different biofertilizers to raspberries and blueberries. “We’re lucky, we have really great collaborators who were willing to sacrifice a full season of crops in several fields,” Benedict said.

    Then the berries in each test plot were carefully harvested and sent to Zhu’s lab in Pullman. “This was a big project and teamwork was very important,” Zhu said. “Everything had to be coordinated, so we talked with Chris Benedict’s team about how to properly and randomly collect samples in multiple berry fields.”

    Pathogens can spread unevenly in a single field, so truly random sampling is required to make sure the data is correct, she said.

    Zhu’s team didn’t find any pathogens harmful to humans in their testing. The processed biofertilizers are safe to apply to food crops, hopefully leading to a closing of that nutrient loop in Whatcom County and benefitting farmers and consumers around the country.

    In addition to Benedict, Zhu, and Cook, the WSU team also consisted of Betsy Schacht, Karen Hills, Chad Kruger, Georgine Yorgey, Lina Sheng, and Xiaoye Shen. This project was funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Innovation Grants program, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. – By Scott Weybright, Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences

    Check out a video explaining the research on YouTube

  • Western Growers Hires Robert Medler as New Arizona Government Affairs Manager

    Robert Medler

    Western Growers (WG) is pleased to announce the addition of Robert Medler as Arizona Government Affairs Manager. Medler brings nearly 15 years of government relations experience and will represent the most influential specialty crop producers in the fresh produce industry in the Arizona State Capitol.

    “We are very excited to have Robert joining Western Growers’ State Government Affairs team,” said Matthew Allen, Vice President of State Government Affairs at Western Growers. “He brings a wealth of experience advocating on behalf of employers and is looking forward to utilizing his skills to represent WG member interests in the state of Arizona.”

    Lobbying on behalf of the association, Medler will represent WG in all Arizona legislative and regulatory matters as well as monitor, analyze and report on policy recommendations for WG positions. Additionally, as part of his role, he will develop, draft and tactically implement policy strategies or legislation affecting agriculture, specifically relating to the fresh fruit, vegetable and nut sectors in Arizona.

    Previously, Medler led the government relations, advocacy and public policy efforts at various associations including the Tucson Metro Chamber and Southern Arizona Chamber of Commerce Association. In 2019, Medler was selected as a “40 Under 40” award recipient from the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Daily Star.

    “Western Growers is the preeminent advocacy organization for the agriculture community,” said Medler. “I am humbled and honored to join the Western Growers’ team to ensure our members have a strong voice in Arizona. Today’s policy decisions will have generational impacts; let’s make sure they are the right decisions.”

    Medler earned a bachelor’s in Political Science & Communications from the University of Arizona and his master’s in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He currently resides in Marana, Arizona.