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Ther
Market Wa
e’
tch
s no room f
By Judie Steeves
or second-best
G
sides of the border.
to
r
p
o

w
p
ers wanting to get
operation through the weekends,
Even with two cherry lines in press, it was still too early to know
As the B.C. Fruit Grower went to
Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative
how this year’s apple crop would
a
rice for their fruit
CEO Gary Schieck says they were
fare, but Schieck said it looks like
q
r
u
e
a

l
r
i
e
t
m
y o
in
f
d
fr
e
u
d
i

t
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h
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'
the
overwhelmed by the number of
Washington State has another
cherries this year.
large crop.
improved once
Vernon and Lavington areas in
A violent hailstorm in the
F
well as that in B.C., prices
With Washington’s huge crop as
s
it
e

t be
the packinghou .
gets to
plummeted from last year as
July damaged not only apples, but
vendors found they had their pick
even young trees, but there’s still
less hail damage overall this year
armers understand going in
of fruit. than last.
that it’s likely Mother Nature
cent more fruit than they had
He estimates there was 25 per
year, so Schieck is hoping prices
Fruit size is looking better this
more years than not, don’t they?
will toss them a curve ball
expected, about 10 million pounds,
and more than double what they
will be better, but it’s a good-sized
crop in B.C. as well, he figures.
that resulted in a very low cherry
Last year it was late spring frost
received before.
crop—but good prices. This year,
prices south of the border, and the
Prices will be dependent on
the crop size ballooned, but too
in large cherries, so the smaller
The markets were only interested
fact the Canadian dollar is above
many of the sweet little fruits hit
ones were a waste of money to run
the markets, and prices plunged.
over the line, and there’s no home
90 cents doesn’t help things in the
now for process cherries, so they
marketing, he notes.
large-sized cherries and sold them
Only growers who produced
couldn’t even be diverted as apples
out of the country are grinning this
can.
crop will be about 266,000 bins,
Estimates are that this year’s
he figures.
year.
whose fruit was smaller than 11-
Many others, especially those
row, ended up with expensive
compost.
Okanagan-Kootenay Cherry
Greg Norton, president of the 18 ACRES, 360° LAKE & VALLEY VIEWS! 50 ACRE ORCHARD, FULL WATER RIGHTS!
Growers’ Association says
18.19 ACRES A T THE JUNCTION OF SPIERS & HAR T ROAD. HIGHL Y DESIRABLE EAST KELOWNA LOCA TION. Full SEKID
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Washington State growers picked
Kelowna for a winery and vineyard operation!! Approximately 7.5 valley views. Ther e has never been a home built on this site! The
acres in apple orchard. Appr oximately 10.7 acr es undeveloped land is almost completely arable with good soil. W ell suited to
the largest crop ever this year, so
with undulating terrain bisected by Hart Road. Land curr ently in cherries and possible vineyar d for a portion of the land. If you
there was a glut on the market
the ALR. Pr esent home, large shop in excellent condition. A are looking for the convenience of one large parcel to develop a
once in a lifetime opportunity!! large scale modern orchard, this is it!!
even before B.C. began selling
$2,750,000. MLS® 9212116 /MLS® 9212071 $3,495,000 MLS® 9213467
fruit.
must realize there’s no room for
Because of that, he says growers
second best in cherries.
orchard in Washington can be
He notes that a single cherry
more than 1,000 acres, while
there’s only about three times that
acreage in cherries in this whole
province.
growers will harvest 22 million 20-
He estimated Washington
pound cartons, double last year’s
crop, while in B.C. there are fewer
TEAM GEEN
TEAM GEEN
EAST KELOWNA FARM & REVENUE PROPERTY!
EXCELLENT REVENUE PROPER TY ideally set in the midst of a cherry or char d, on just over 9 acr es, surr ounded by or char ds and
agricultur e for miles. R V P ARK, RENT AL 4 PLEX, LARGE F AMIL Y HOME (could be B&B), heated in-gr ound pool & over
7 acres of profitable stacatto cherry orchard. Close to natur e trails for walking & cycling, walking distance to golfing. Rare find and in a
superb location. Fantastic income potential.
$1,925,000!! MLS® 9216961/MLS® 9216967
than a million cartons, even
though the crop here is also double
www .OkanaganFarms.com
the previous year’s.
WE SELL F ARMS!
JERR Y GEEN GERALD GEEN
coming into production on both
And, more cherry acreage is still
1-800-663-5770
REAL T OR ® Consultant (unlicensed)
KELOWNA
KELOWNA Direct 250-870-3888
British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2009
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