The year of local produce

Made a couple of calls today to receivers in New York and the New England area for coverage about truck rates and the impact on produce shipments.

With escalating fuel prices, one receiver said this is the year of local produce - particularly local/regional vegetables. With projections for $8,000 trucking costs from the West Coast this summer, West Coast vegetable shippers can't move excess supply to wholesale markets in the East and expect any kind of return at all. I'll look forward to getting more industry input on this pivotal issue in the days ahead....

Organic exports rising in Peru

Peru, if you haven't heard, is a powerhouse producer of organic agricultural products - particularly coffee, bananas and cacao. This USDA FAS report provides some background about the extent of the transformation. From the report:

The shift from conventional to organic banana production is nearly complete, with some sources estimating that 100% of Peru’s banana production is certified organic. In the next two years, the industry estimates that acreage dedicated to organic production will jump nearly 40% to 7,200 hectares. Banana exports for 2007 are estimated at $32 million. This figure represents a 21% jump from last year. The US and Europe split Peru’s banana exports.

Chat - Julia Stewart

Julia Stewart says she was an econ major in college but her heart was in communications. Now she jokes, "As it has turned out, my wonk econ background has served me well as a communicator -- I can crunch the numbers and then spin them, too."

Julia is the latest feature subject of the Fresh Talk chat series. Find the link here; the Q and A with Julia can be found at the bottom of the page.

Here is a little mid-February coverage from The Packer about Julia:


PR, communications specialist joins PMA
By Angie Hanson, Staff Writer
Julia Stewart recently joined the Produce Marketing Association as public relations director, responsible for overseeing all public relations and crisis communications endeavors.
"It's very difficult to find a public relations, communications strategist," said Lorna Christie, senior vice president of industry products and services for the Newark, Del.-based PMA. "She has a rare set of talents that already are making her valuable to us and the industry. She's a communications strategist that understands the produce industry and is very well connected, and that's a very unique set of attributes."
Stewart, who succeeds Debra Mitchell, brings more than 15 years of industry experience to the role, most recently as a communications consultant for the company she founded -- Ashburn, Va.-based Clarity Communications LLC -- in 2004 and previously as vice president of public relations for the U.S. Apple Association, McLean, Va., where she served for 11 years, Stewart said.
The PMA position, which she started in January, was luring for Stewart because it provides an opportunity to deal with a variety of matters that are vital to the industry, she said.
"My consulting experience over the last four years was incredible, so it was really going to take something special to make me change," Stewart said. "For communications professionals in the produce industry, there aren't positions that are much more meaty. I have a chance to work on a broad range of issues that are critical to the industry and with an organization and people that I respect."
PMA public relations coordinator Theresa Zuroick remains on the association's staff.



me: Okay - thanks for taking part in the Fresh Talk chat. My starter question - where did you grow up?

9:29 AM

stewartjuliaa: I spent most of my early years in Charlottesville, Va. -- people often get C'ville confused with Charlotte, N.C., so let's be clear I'm a Virginia girl.

9:30 AM

Went to college there, at UVA, then moved to northern Virginia where I've been ever since.

9:31 AM

me: Never checked out Kansas - too bad...As you attended UVA, did you ever change majors - and what was the eventual degree that you received?

9:34 AM

stewartjuliaa: My degree is in economics, though my heart was always in communications. As it has turned out, my wonk econ background has served me well as a communicator -- I can crunch the numbers and then spin them, too.

9:35 AM

me: Ha..you are right. Don't we all? Tell me about your first job after college and what eventually connected you to the world of fresh produce...

9:37 AM

stewartjuliaa: I was an economic researcher for what used to be the National Forest Products Association, now part of the American Forest & Paper Association. I'd never heard of an association before coming to D.C., it turns out the world is full of them. I tracked and reported on housing starts (a sore subject these days) and stuff like that, and producing an econ newsletter. I quickly figured out I liked communications much more than number crunching. After several years learning PR and crisis management from some of the best in D.C., I hooked a job with what is now U.S. Apple Association, and the rest as they say is history.

9:38 AM

me: That's right - 11 years at U.S. Apple, correct? What did you enjoy about that time and that industry?

9:44 AM

stewartjuliaa: That's right, 11 years -- hard to believe, they flew by. It was wonderful, because of the people and products I got to work for, and the broad range of work we did while I was there -- we literally put apples back on the map as a health food, while fighting fires like food safety and antidumping, and pushing our agenda on Capitol Hill. The professional experience was extraordinary. And the personal experience was too, I had my two children and grew my family while I was there.

9:46 AM

me: After U.S. Apple, you started your own communications/consulting company. Was that intimidating and did you enjoy that challenge?

9:49 AM

stewartjuliaa: It has been both the most terrifying and invigorating thing I've ever done in my life. I'd gotten very comfortable at USApple, and I am not a risk taker by nature. Starting Clarity Communications taught me that taking some risk now and again can be a good and empowering thing. I learned a great deal in a short amount of time, both about being running a business and about myself.

9:52 AM

me: That's really an accomplishment - congrats to you on that. Tell us a little about the scope of your responsiblities for PMA...

9 minutes

10:01 AM

stewartjuliaa: Clarity was going great, but PMA offered another tremendous learning and growing opportunity as their PR director. I'm still getting my head around the full scope of the job somewhat, but in a nutshell I help drive how PMA communicates with its world so that everyone can get the most out of their relationship with PMA, AND help respond to industry crisis situations. That's quite a job description! And I get to work with some of the best brains in the business, including Kathy Means and Bob Whitaker, and PMA's great education team (the folks who come up with the ideas for Fresh Summit and other conferences). I love working with smart people, and PMA is loaded with them.

10:03 AM

me: Yes - you have quite a roster there. I know my time is short, but thanks for making time for this chat - I've got more questions to ask, but that may have to wait for next time. Thanks Julia.

10:04 AM

stewartjuliaa: Enjoyed it, I'm so glad to be working with you and the whole team at The Packer again.

Conner: Same song, final verse

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner held a press conference discussing the veto by President Bush of the farm bill. I promised some audio, and here it is. Nothing really too surprising from the press conference; the Administration knows they have an uphill climb to sustain the video, and Conner objected again to the lack of reform and potentially much higher federal outlays if commodity prices swoon.



Reaction from the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement in response to President Bush’s veto of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act today. Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and of the Senate-House conference committee on the new farm bill.
“Today, right now in America, farm families and rural communities are awaiting a new farm bill. Working families are struggling to put food on the table because of recession and rising food prices. Today in America farmers and ranchers lack the assistance they need to conserve resources and provide a cleaner environment. Production is increasing at such a rapid pace that our lands are eroding and the strain on the environment is increasing. And today in America energy costs are off the charts with drivers in some areas paying over $4.00 a gallon for gas and farmers around the country seeing their diesel costs increase substantially. The Food, Conservation and Energy Act – or more commonly, the farm bill – was aptly named to address each of these concerns.
“The bill continues, reforms and strengthens income protection for the benefit of farm families and the rural economy. The nutrition title strengthens food assistance. The energy provisions in the farm bill will help unleash the potential of agriculture and rural communities to supply energy to our nation. And the new bill will help farmers and ranchers with funds and technical assistance to conserve soil, improve water quality and boost wildlife on their land.
“With all of these critical investments and reforms in this bill that have won support from both parties, from every region of the country, and from rural and urban members of Congress alike, the president’s veto of this measure is an attempt to deny America these forward-looking initiatives at a time when the country needs them the most.”

USDA National Truck Rate Report - May 20

From the summary of the USDA National Truck Rate Report:

A shortage of trucks was reported for the following commodities and regions: tomatoes, melons and grapes from Nogales, Arizona, onions from Imperial Valley California, mixed vegetables and tomatoes from Central and South Florida, melons and potatoes from Florida, cabbage from South Georgia, onions from Vidalia District, Georgia, sweet potatoes from Louisiana, Mississippi and Eastern North Carolina, onions from the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas and San Antonio-Winter Garden-LaredoDistrict Texas, citrus, avocados, watermelon and mixed vegetables from Mexico
Crossings Through Texas, and watermelons from South Texas. A slight shortage of trucks was reported for the following commodities and regions: grapes from Coachella Valley California, peppers, corn and mixed vegetables from Imperial & Coachella Valley California, carrots from Kern District California, asparagus, lettuce, mixed vegetables, strawberries and raspberries from Salinas-Watsonville California, peaches, nectarines, apricots and cherries from San Joaquin Valley California, mixed vegetables and strawberries from Santa Maria, citrus and strawberries from South District California, asparagus from Stockton Delta District, and potatoes from San Luis Valley Colorado and Central Wisconsin.
FIRST REPORT was issued for grapes from Coachella Valley California. LAST REPORT was issued for asparagus from Stockton Delta District, mixed vegetables from Central and South Florida and potatoes from Aroostook County Maine. All other districts reported an adequate supply of trucks.

Nutrition v. Taste/convenience

Here is the exchange that was the inspiration for my Fresh Talk poll this week. First, the column by Dan Galbraith of The Packer on the failed promise of "marketing nutrition."

From Dan in the April 14 issue of The Packer:

Produce marketers should take new angle
Dan Galbraith, Sections Editor
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- There's a famous "Seinfeld" episode that repeats the line, "Not that there's anything wrong with that," and that buzz phrase pops into my mind as I look back at the April 3-5 Produce Marketing Association's Consumer Trends '08: A Produce Solutions Conference in Newport Beach, Calif.
Conference attendees already knew the product they're selling is fresh and healthful, yet not as popular or as profitable as many food alternatives proven to be detrimental to health.
Fresh produce is healthy and that healthfulness is promotable -- not that there's anything wrong with that -- but are produce industry marketing agents missing the point?
Possibly, if you listened to some of the conference speakers closely enough.
Harry Balzer, vice president of the NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y., for instance, spoke on "Eating Patterns in America: The Scoop on Who's Really Eating What -- Regardless of What They Say."
That's "scoop" -- as in ice cream -- one of many poor-nutrition foods Americans like to eat more than they like to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
Perhaps the title of the speech should have been changed to "… Who's Really Eating What -- And Why" because Balzer stressed, among other things, that Americans said "eating light" was the main reason they ate a particular meal only 2% of the time.
That's right -- only 2 Americans in 100 said healthfulness was the major motivating factor behind a given meal.
And that should have been quite an eye-opener.
What's worse, when asked what they ate when they sought out a "light meal," salads finished no higher than the middle of the Top 10 pack. And guess what: burgers topped the list.
It's important to note that Balzer's data is based on what Americans actually ate, not what they reported they ate.
Balzer also talked about how factors such as convenience and perceived value are most vital to Americans when they make their food choices.
Speaker Jim Perkins, president of ULATAM Retail Solutions, Chicago, talked about the importance of connecting with Hispanic consumers through responding to their culture "in a culturally relevant way regarding produce."
Perkins emphasized the need to make packaging, store displays, advertising and store atmosphere both user-friendly and culturally appealing to Hispanics.
Except during the food safety seminar, I didn't hear speakers equate factors such as healthfulness of the product and safety behind the product as money-makers.
We all know fresh produce ranks among the most healthful and safe types of food in the world. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But, for maximizing produce profitability, most conference speakers suggested maximizing taste and convenience messages to consumers.
In the vein of Taco Bell's "Fourth Meal" promotion, perhaps produce industry marketers should take the emphasis off the healthfulness of the products they're pushing and appeal to good ol' American excess, for a change.
After all, the biggest trend in American eating is, that, well, we're eating bigger and getting bigger around our waistlines.
Of course, excess is part of the American dream -- not that there's anything wrong with that -- but can't the fresh produce industry capitalize on this phenomenon instead of being victimized by it?
It sounds absurd, but how about a "Mass Quantities" produce promotion, with the old Saturday Night Live "Coneheads" as spokespeople, devouring entire heads of lettuce or entire bags of carrots?
Check the state-by-state statistics presented at the conference on obesity careening out of control and you should realize Americans are going to overeat, no matter how much nutrition education they get.
Fresh produce has long been food's "good guy" -- not that there's anything wrong with that -- but it's apparent Americans prefer the "bad boy," and Balzer's presentation supports this fact (he concluded, "so health is a secondary factor" in American eating).
Chicken snack wraps, which Balzer dubbed "the hottest thing right now," in foodservice, could wind up being a positive development because the wraps include fresh produce -- lettuce and sometimes tomatoes.
If consumers could get into the habit of eating snack wraps now offered at places like McDonald's and KFC without any dressing, it could be a positive development for the fresh produce industry.
Call me an anti-traditionalist, or call me crazy, if you will, but the fresh produce industry's prior attempts to tout the nutrition and the relative low cost of their products hasn't put fruits and vegetables at the top of any shopping list I've seen.
Especially now, when high input costs necessitated by food safety efforts and skyrocketing energy bills have taken away some of the produce industry's price advantage, now is the time to promote produce taste any way possible.
In the real world -- and in Harry Balzer's statistical world -- taste is the only true factor, other than convenience, that will drive what Americans eat through 2020 and beyond. For fresh produce companies to survive in this world, they have to become aware of this food-trend knowledge, embrace it and adapt their marketing efforts to play to it.
That's called making money off American excess, not that there's anything wrong with that.
Email dgalbraith@thepacker.com


---------------------------------

TK: The retort to Dan's comment comes in the May 19 issue of The Packer from John Sauve, managing director of the food and nutrition division at the Swardlick Marketing Group, Portland, Maine. Suave argues that the industry hasn't reaped the advantage of the nutrition/health message but the cause is the industry's execution rather than the message itself.

Produce's health message matters most
John Sauve, Swardlick Marketing Group
I have a bone to pick -- make that a carrot -- with your sections editor, Dan Galbraith, author of the opinion piece "Produce marketers should take new angle."
In Galbraith's April 14 column, he suggests the health message as a driver for produce consumption has failed and therefore a new angle is necessary.
As an experienced marketer in the field of food and nutrition, I believe Galbraith is off-base on this one. I don't agree with his premise or his support points.
Maybe he really wanted to evoke the kind of response I'm expressing -- to find someone who truly believes and can articulate that, when it comes to fruits and vegetables, health matters most.
As the managing director of the food and nutrition division of Swardlick Marketing Group, the agency that developed the science and nutrition-based 5 a Day The Color Way program for the Produce for Better Health Foundation, I have seen the power of a science-backed health story to dramatically move produce sales.
In the late 1990s, our agency discovered, developed and promoted the emerging phytochemical research and antioxidant-based health story behind the enormous success of the blueberry business.
A health-based marketing message was -- and continues to be -- the driving force behind the worldwide demand for blueberries, as well as other individual fruits and vegetables that have chosen to focus on health as their principle marketing message.
In our view, the health message has not failed the produce industry as a driver of consumption for fruits and vegetables; rather, the industry itself has failed to effectively drive and support the right health message into the marketplace.
Most healthful food group
We believe the produce industry, representing the healthiest food group, has yet to really embrace, understand and truly market the health benefits of its colorful, nutritionally advantaged products.
Until that happens, we will lose ground to the many other categories in the marketplace - think dairy, cereal, soy, beverages and supplements - that have grabbed "health" and benefited from it. These categories put money behind health in a big way: at point of sale, in advertising, in packaging.
The same cannot be said of the produce industry. While we are off talking about other things, the other food groups will take away our inherent health advantage. That's just good competitive strategy on their part. We talk a good health game -- amongst ourselves -- but our actual playing is way short of the mark.
Think about it: when was the last time you saw the words "health" or "wellness" prominently displayed in the produce section of the supermarket? You are more likely to find those words in the pharmacy section.
Take a walk through your produce department. What health-related messages hit you between the eyes -- the ones that make you immediately call up the latent health images you have of fruits and veggies?
When was the last time the industry had a national campaign running to promote the health benefits of fruits and vegetables? When was the last time you saw an ad for healthy fruits and vegetables on TV?
Milk, cereal (look at the front of the Cheerios box), beverages, soy, even pharmacy, are grabbing the health messages being conveyed to Americans, while fruits and veggies talk about freshness and quality and admittedly other good things - but not health.
It's not that we aren't communicating good things. We are. It's that the most important one, the lead health story, is missing or is way down the list.
Product positioning built upon delivering a meaningful, compelling and differentiating consumer benefit is what marketers try to do for their brands.
While Galbraith calls upon some broad research to support his points on taste and convenience -- certainly important and necessary barriers and solutions to address -- theses are not the primary positioning points that will win the good vs. not-so-good food fight or the wellness challenge.
Collectively, we can and must differentiate and market fruits and vegetables first and foremost on the health dimension -- our core product positioning -- something that comes naturally to our nutritionally advantaged product portfolio.
Our beautiful color array alone is a competitive advantage for fruits and vegetables. All other attributes and benefits are support points, helping us meet the needs of the marketplace.
The irony is, colorful fruits and vegetables are the true health heroes in the supermarket. Health rightfully belongs to produce, yet we are letting these other categories win the "health and wellness" mantle.
Our biggest marketplace voice, the Produce for Better Health Foundation, a wonderful organization with dedicated people, is too underfunded to effectively compete and somewhat restricted in its health messaging strategies by governmental guidelines.
We simply have no outlets consistently and effectively doing the health-focused marketing job for the whole industry.
We hope the collective industry will wake up and get on the health track, because health really does matter most.
John Sauve is managing director of the food and nutrition division at the Swardlick Marketing Group, Portland, Maine.


TK: The fresh produce industry certainly does not need to run away from the nutrition/health message. But does not everyone understand that fruits and vegetables are "good for you"? More of the emphasis, I think, needs to be focused on ways to make fruits and vegetables more accessible, more convenient and easy. Let the nutrition message be a throw in or supplementary message, but let the primary driver should be the convenience and ease of fresh produce. Taste can be promoted when it is a bona fide change from consumer expectations - such as a new variety - but don't over promise and under deliver on the taste message.

Conner to discuss today's Presidential veto of the farm bill

From the USDA. I'll capture some audio of Conner's remarks:


Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner will hold a Press Conference at 1:30 p.m. EDT to discuss today's Presidential veto of the farm bill.

Escape from business card purgatory

I borrowed a Cardscan 300 from a Vance executive this week and it was my one-day obsession to deal with scattered mounds of business cards on my office window sill and in stored legal size envelopes in my file cabinet. Mission accomplished - 1,045 cards later, all my business cards I have collected over the past seven years or so have been disposed with as with a paper shredder, their images saved to a program that scans the text and puts it semi-correct form for review.

Now, I just have to go through all the electronic copies and verify the information and send the info to my Outlook program, which may take another seven years or so. But at least the mounds of business cards have disappeared from the window sill - until my next convention or road trip....

Washington Post obesity series

The Washington Post has an ongoing series about obesity that is worth noting. Here are the links to the mainbars from the series. Here is a blog post by nutrition activist Marion Nestle about the series.


Obesity threatens a generation - Saturday, May 17
The lede:

An epidemic of obesity is compromising the lives of millions of American children, with burgeoning problems that reveal how much more vulnerable young bodies are to the toxic effects of fat.


Inertia at the top - Monday, May 19
The lede:

The problem at first was that the problem was ignored: For almost two decades, young people in the United States got fatter and fatter -- ate more, sat more -- and nobody seemed to notice. Not parents or schools, not medical groups or the government.
But since the alarm was finally sounded in the late 1990s, the problem has been the country's reaction: a fragmented, inchoate response that critics say has suffered particularly from inadequate direction and dollars at the federal level.

In D.C., where kids live sets tone for weight loss success - Tuesday, May 20

The lede:

Latrisha Avery knows losing weight could head off the diabetes that runs in her family. But the fifth-grader has a more immediate reason for her goal of losing 20 pounds before she starts middle school next year: So kids will stop calling her "King Kong."

TK: The inherent "conflict of interest" at USDA is noted in the "inertia" article. From the story:

The USDA plays a central and often inconsistent role on the issue. It is the department behind the pyramid that shows Americans how fruits and vegetables should be consumed more than fatty foods, yet it supports companies' development of products that flout those guidelines. Pizza Hut's stuffed-crust pizza is among critics' ready examples. "The conflict of interest is inherent in the USDA," said Kelly Brownell, professor of psychology at Yale University and co-founder of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. "Their main task is to promote agriculture and food, and their secondary task is to establish nutrition policy."

Farm Labor report: Wages up

Wages are up, but the number of workers is down. Here is the summary material for the recent U.S. farm labor report from the USDA

Hired Workers Down 7 Percent, Wage Rates up 4 Percent From a Year Ago

There were 919,000 hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of April 6-12, 2008, down 7 percent from a year ago. Of these hired workers, 700,000 workers were hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 219,000 workers.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $10.60 per hour during the April 2008 reference week, up 40 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $9.65 per hour, up 30 cents from last April, while livestock workers earned $10.32 per hour compared with $9.59 a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $9.87 per hour, was up 45 cents from last year.

The number of hours worked averaged 41.0 hours for hired workers during the survey week, up 1 percent from a year ago. The largest decreases in the number of hired workers from last year occurred in California and in the Delta (Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi), Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina), Mountain I (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming), and Southern Plains (Oklahoma and Texas) regions. In California, planted acreage of cotton, dry beans, and sugar beets declined sharply from 2007. Therefore, the demand for field workers was considerably lower. Excessive rain and flooding in the Delta region curtailed most field
activities and lessened the need for field workers. In the Southeast region, wet conditions and low soil temperatures delayed corn and cotton planting in Alabama and Georgia, reducing the demand for field workers. Snow and cold temperatures across most of the Mountain I region halted planting activity until late in the week, and calving and lam bing were behind normal. These factors led to reduced demand for field and livestock workers. In the Southern Plains region, heavy rains in Oklahoma more than offset the drier conditions in Texas and delayed planting of row crops, resulting in fewer hired workers.

The largest increases in the number of hi3wwwred workers from last year occurred in the Appalachian I (North Carolina and Virginia), Appalachian II (Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia), Northeast I (New England and New York), Pacific (Oregon and Washington), and Northern Plains (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) regions. Strong demand from poultry operations and from the nursery and greenhouse industries in the Appalachian I region caused hired worker numbers to be higher. In the Appalachian II region, strong demand from the equine and cattle industries led to an increase in hired workers. Last year's reference week weather in the Northeast I region was plagued by frigid temperatures and snow. A return to more normal weather patterns this year resulted in a greater need for hired workers. In the Pacific region, increased demand from fruit growers and from the nursery and greenhouse industries kept worker numbers above the previous year. Heavy snow in parts of the Northern Plains region caused livestock stress which led to more supplemental feeding and increased the need for hired workers.

Hired worker wage rates were generally above a year ago in most regions. The largest increases occurred in the Mountain III (Arizona and New Mexico), Corn Belt I (Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio), Corn Belt II (Iowa and Missouri), Southeast and Appalachian I regions. In the Mountain III and Corn Belt I regions, the higher wages were due to a larger proportion of salaried workers putting in fewer hours, which pushed the average hourly wage higher. The wage increase in the Corn Belt II region was due to a smaller percentage of part time workers. In the Southeast and Appalachian I regions, the higher wages resulted from a higher proportion of nursery and greenhouse workers.

Argentina deciduous 2008 estimates

Here is the link to the new USDA FAS report on Argentina deciduous fruit for 2008. From the report:

Post estimates a total fresh deciduous fruit production of 1.84 million metric tons (MT) in CY 2008. That is a 6 percent decrease due to severe frost damage. According to industry sources, quality has also been affected by low temperatures during the winter of 2007. CY 2008 apple crop is forecast to decrease 9 percent to 990,000 MT as the yield of the most widespread variety, Red Delicious, is expected to drop 30 percent.

Fresh pear production for CY 2008 is estimated to have decreased to 700,000 MT. Decreases in both the Bartlett and Anjou varieties were not offset by the increase in the Packham variety. According to sources in the industry, CY 2008 will not be a very good year in terms
of volume and quality due to the effect of the frosts.

Table grapes production in CY 2008 is estimated at 150,000 MT. Table grapes production in CY 2007 totaled 140,000 MT. San Juan province produced 110,000 MT while the provinces of Mendoza and Rio Negro produced 8,000 MT and 12,000 MT, respectively.

Trade
Post estimates overall fresh deciduous fruit exports for CY 2008 to drop to 750,000 MT due to a shortage in supply of apples and pears.Apple exports in CY 2008 are forecast to decrease to 250,000 MT due to a poorer crop. CAJ exports are expected to fall as less fruit will be available for processors. Also, pear exports are expected to fall to 440,000 MT due to quality reasons. Fresh table grapes exports will not change from CY 2007 with volumes at 60,000 MT.

Pear exports in the first three months of CY 2008 decreased slightly to 250,000 MT. During Y 2007, the Russian Federation increased purchases from 50,000 MT to 64,000 MT, but exports to the United States plunged 40 percent as a result of shipping delays due to a pickers strike in the beginning of the CY 2008 season. In value terms, pear exports during the first third of CY 2008 increased to US$164 million due to higher international prices. Apple exports from January to March 2008 also decreased in volume to 80,000 MT (20 percent regarding Jan-Mar 2007). However, in dollar terms, these exports remained at US$55 million. The volume of table grape exports remained unchanged at 58,000 MT during the period from an-Mar 2008, while their total export value increased in this same period to US$71 million.In CY 2007, overall fresh deciduous fruit exports increased 11 percent with respect to CY 2006 to 796,000 MT. Fresh deciduous fruit exports for CY 2006 were 706,000 MT, 8 percent less than the 714,000 MT (US$383 million) exported in CY 2005. Total fresh deciduous fruit exports declined in CY 2006 in volume but not in value, which was US$401 million due to higher international prices.

On varieties....

Among the bicolor apples, only some Gala and Braeburn clones have succeeded in Argentina. Others like Fuji, Jonagold and Elstar did not adapt to the ecological conditions. Among the yellow apples, Golden Delicious is the classic variety. Although it adapted well to the Argentine production conditions, this variety has lost popularity due to market problems. Among the red varieties, Red Delicious is the most widespread variety in Argentina. Since it is sterile, this variety must be crossed with other varieties such as Gala, Fuji, Elstar, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan and Ozarkgold. In Argentina, many Red Delicious clones such as Starkrimson, Red Chief, Hi Early, Top Red Delicious, Oregon Spur, or Red King Oregon and Cooper 8, have been adopted. The second most important apple variety in Argentina is Granny Smith with 20 percent of the planted area. Among the most popular Pear varieties is the Bartlett variety covers 35 percent of the Argentine pear production followed by the Packham’s Triumph variety. Finally among the less important varieties are: Red Sensation, Red Bartlett, Beurré D’Anjou, Red Anjou, Abate Fetel (Abbé Fetel), Conference, General Leclerc , Forelle.

Charting new directions: June 21 event at UC Davis

Industry friend Jim Gorny, now at UC Davis, passes along news of this event. Also find it in the calendar at the bottom of blog.



DAVIS, CA (May 20, 2008) – An all star line-up of produce industry executives and academicians are slated to provide their strategic insights regarding some of the most pressing issues facing the produce industry at a very special one day symposium entitled “Charting New Directions In Postharvest Biology & Technology” to be held June 21, 2008 on the UC Davis campus.

Three pivotal sessions have been planned.

Session 1 – The Consumer Produce Experience: Explores the hurdles and effective strategies that may be used to increase consumer satisfaction and consumption of fresh produce.
Session 2 – Assuring Produce Buyer Confidence: Explores what information produce executives will need to make informed business decisions regarding produce safety, quality and marketability to assure business sustainability and competitiveness into the future.
Session 3 – Charting New Directions to Meet Postharvest Challenges and Opportunities: Explores
high priority produce research and education activities that are needed to meet produce industry needs.

Symposium Speakers Include:
James Truscott, VP of Sales and Marketing for Wild Rocket Foods, supply chain partner of Fresh & Easy (Tesco USA)
Nick Tompkins, Chairman of the Board, APIO Inc.
Nick Kukulan, President & CEO, Paramount Export Co.
Dennis Gipson, Executive VP of the Cold Chain, Ingersoll Rand Climate Control Technologies
Robert Whitaker, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Produce Marketing Association
Deirdre Holcroft, Ph.D., Research & Development Manager, AgroFresh Inc.
Keri Morrelli, Technical Services Manager, APIO Inc.
Patrick Brecht, Ph.D., President, P.E.B. Commodities Inc.
UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center Faculty including: Roberta Cook, Carlos Crisosto, Jim Gorny, Beth Mitcham, Mike Reid and Jim Thompson.
“We are thrilled to have these produce industry luminaries providing their insights at our symposium,” said UC Davis Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center Academic Director Jim Thompson. “We very much respect what all of these executives have accomplished in the produce industry and we value the opportunity to learn how the postharvest program at UC Davis can best address emerging issues in the produce industry. We envision that this symposium with produce industry leaders and produce researchers from UC Davis and other leading academic institutions will provide a roadmap toward innovative solutions” he said.

Detailed information including how to register for the Charting New Directions In Postharvest Biology & Technology Symposium may be found on the Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center website at http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/announce/30thanniversary.shtml or by contacting Ms. Penny Stockdale, registration coordinator, at (530) 754-4326 or pastockdale@ucdavis.edu.

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The mission of the University of California Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center is to reduce postharvest losses and improve the quality, safety and marketability of fresh horticultural products. Visit the center online at http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu. Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center, Department of Plant Sciences/MS2, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, Tel: (530) 752-6941, Fax: (530) 754-4326, E-mail: postharvest@ucdavis.edu

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Ready or not: A sustainable standard

The debate over the merits of continuous improvement model versus sustainability "best practices" may be moot. Backers of the "best practices" model are first to the market. Read on:


Wisconsin May 20, 2008 What could be the first national standard for sustainable agriculture in the United States - the Sustainable Agriculture Practice Standard for Food, Fiber, and Biofuel Crop Producers and Agricultural Product Handlers and Processors (SCS-001) Draft Standard for Trial Use - was re-announced in the May 16, 2008 edition of ANSI Standards Action. This comprehensive standard for sustainable agriculture addresses the sustainability impacts of agricultural production and encompasses the entire agricultural product supply chain, including suppliers, seed providers, growers, processors, distributors, retailers, and end- users. As such, key objectives of the standard development process will be to establish best practices in sustainable crop production and handling and to develop a set of metrics that encourages continued improvement of the environmental, social, and economic sustainability impacts of agricultural products, at all levels of the supply chain.
With such an integrated scope as this, SCS-001 has the potential to revolutionize agriculture in the United States. Michael Arny, president of Leonardo Academy said: "Sustainability standards have a positive impact on markets because they create an easy-to-use common language for sustainability commerce. When the hard work of developing an ANSI-approved sustainable agriculture standard is completed by the Standards Committee, the final standard will make it easy for sellers to communicate the sustainability of the products they produce and deliver and easy for buyers to specify and identify the sustainability of the products they want to purchase. The US Green Building Council's LEED® standard for sustainable buildings has revolutionized the 'green' building industry and serves as a model of how this sustainability standard for agricultural products-when finalized-will revolutionize the market for sustainable agricultural products."
Due to its potential to transform American agriculture, Leonardo Academy has re-announced the DSTU for this standard to ensure that all materially affected and interested parties are aware of this draft standard for sustainable agriculture practices and the opportunity to participate in the standard development process. Awareness of the DSTU also gives materially affected interests the opportunity, if they so choose, to challenge the decision to register this DSTU with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). In conjunction with the DSTU re-announcement, the deadline for applications to participate on the Standards Committee and advisory subcommittees has been re-extended to July 7, 2008 to allow everyone interested in participating in the process additional time to apply. Standards Committee members will be announced July 28, and the first meeting of the Standards Committee will be held on September 10. To facilitate the process of developing this standard, Leonardo Academy has also updated its ANSI standard development constitution, which is currently under review for ANSI approval.
Since September 2007, Leonardo Academy has conducted extensive outreach to increase awareness of this DSTU and has developed a contact list of 1400 interested and potentially affected parties. To date, 70 applications have been submitted to participate on the Standards Committee or advisory subcommittees. All interested and materially affected stakeholders-such as growers, farm organizations, food processors, food service companies, retailers, government representatives, consumer groups, environmental organizations, NGOs, labor groups and representatives, and other interested parties-have a role to play in shaping the final standard that will be submitted to ANSI for approval and are encouraged to apply.
The Draft Standard for Trial Use, committee application form, information on the time commitment for committee members and frequency/location of committee meetings, as well as more information about this initiative, can be found at: http://www.leonardoacademy.org/Projects/SustainAgStdDevelo pment.htm. Applications for participation should be submitted no later than Monday, July 7, 2008. Applications will be reviewed in full in order to achieve a balanced dispersion of qualifications and expertise on the Standards Committee. All applicants will be informed of their committee status no later than Monday, July 28, 2008.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
To learn more, please visit the Sustainable Agriculture Practice Draft Standard for Trial Use web page.

Waiting for the inevitable

Ryan McLaughlin, spokesman for the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, reports the group is hearing the official White House veto and possibly a House override will occur on Wednesday.

From the office of Rep. Collin Peterson:


Today, Congress sent H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 to President Bush. The bill passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 318-106 and passed the Senate with a vote of 81-15 last week.

"I hope that President Bush will seriously consider the many positive steps this bill takes to improve nutrition programs that are important to so many Americans, particularly during these difficult economic times; to expand and improve conservation programs that help farmers protect the environment; to continue and improve the safety net for farmers; to support fruit and vegetable producers and to encourage renewable energy production from cellulosic sources," Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said.

"We made every effort to work with Administration officials throughout the Farm Bill process, even when they showed no interest in coming to compromise on these important issues," Chairman Peterson said. "While the President has pledged to veto the bill, I hope that the strong, bipartisan votes in the House and Senate will demonstrate its importance to the American people and lead him to sign it into law."

The current extension of the 2002 Farm Bill expires on Friday, May 23, 2008.