Ten
For The Road
Here are ten trends you need to know abut for a successful future.
TOPICS
such as pest management and variety selection will always be
important to growers. However, there are other factors that will
dictate the direction of the fruit industry in the coming years.
Here are our top ten, alphabetically:
Almonds
The almond market is currently experiencing record yields and
high demand. In the past few years, many California growers have
shifted at least a portion of their acreage to almonds.
However, continuous market saturation
could cause problems down the road. In addition, growers are dealing
with environmental restrictions relating to dust buildup during
harvest, and many are also moving from burning clippings to
shredding them.
Biotechnology
In the public eye, the word "frankenfood" is probably a scarier
notion than "Frankenstein". However, the process of breeding fruit
with specific traits has been going on for years, including the
search for disease-resistant apple varieties in the early 1970s. For
the grower, biotechnology represents a way to grow fruit that is not
only resistant to diseases and insects, but also provides high
nutrition levels. The key is to convince consumers that it is safe
to eat.
Food Safety
Fruit growers are all too aware that a food safety
problem can be a crushing blow. The key is to practice due diligence
at all times, including keeping detailed records and following Good
Agricultural practices and Best Management Practices.
Fresh-Cuts
The fresh-cut industry is now
making national headlines thanks to fast-food restaurants such as
McDonald's. Growers who are considering entering the fresh-cut
market need to take a hard look at the changes they will have to
make, from variety selection to packing facilities. It is the latter
that might be the most challenging, as fresh-cuts may require a
complete overhaul in your processing equipment
Labor
Sufficient labor is often at the
top of the list of grower concerns. But from the AgJobs bill to H-2A
reform, it seems like a never-ending battle for Congress to enact
legislation that will provide adequate labor supplies for growers.
The decisions made on each of these programs will likely dictate
labor supplies for the future. At the same time, progress in
mechanical harvesting could ease labor concerns.
Organics
Organic produce sales are growing
at a rapid pace. However, organic fruit can be difficult to grow,
depending on your location. In addition, marketing claims about
health benefits or improved taste of organic fruit are debatable. It
might be worth it for some growers to experiment with organics - as
long as they d their homework first. It has the potential to be a
booming consumer market.
Precision
Agriculture
Long considered to be more of a
soybean or cotton technology, the adoption of precision agriculture
is now taking shape in the fruit industry. But for fruit growers,
the technology can involve anything from yield monitoring to using
sprayers that target specific parts of the tree. Precision ag might
be a costly initial investment, but it could just as easily pay off
in a big way down the road.
Food Safety
This initiative, started in the state of Washington in
2001 with the goal of reducing fruit production costs 30% by 2010,
is picking up steam. A steering committee has been active in working
with researchers and scientists to determine the technology that
will be necessary to make this improvement in production efficiency
possible. The next step will be to work with Congress and USDA to
provide the funding for it. For details, go to
Tree
Fruit Research
Trade
Make no mistake about it -
the fruit industry is now a global market, as reflected by the
effects of China's booming apple industry. In order to be an
effective international company, you will need to gain an
understanding not only of trade laws between the U.S. and other
nations, but also of the cultures of these nations and how to
communicate effectively.
Urban
Encroachment
Farmland is being lost to residential and commercial
development across the country. States such as New Jersey have been
able to set up programs that preserve farmland. The question is
whether other areas can have equal success. It's up to you to work
with local government to make sure your property remains in your
hands.
