Almonds Are Top Nut in New Food Products
The number of newnut-containing products with
almonds as an ingredient has
been growing significantly
around the world.
Almonds have maintained their position as the No. 1 ingredient nut used in new products worldwide, according to reports from the two leading global databases, Mintel and Innova Market Insights, which track new food product introductions.
Cherry Facts
Cherries
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CancerThe terpenes found in cherries may protect against skin cancer. Fun Facts
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Western Australia accepts U.S. cherries
Western Australia accepts U.S. cherries
Pacific Northwest and California cherry exports to Australia are expected to increase next year because of acceptance of U.S. cherries into Western Australia.
The USDA announced Sept. 12 that Western Australia is accepting U.S. cherries, which had been banned for years due to phytosanitary concerns. It is the first U.S. fresh fruit to gain access there.
Eastern Australia has accepted California cherries since the late 1990s and Washington and Oregon cherries since 2001. Western Australia operates under separate protocol because of its geographic isolation from the East.
The opening comes from 10 years of negotiations and positions Australia as the seventh most valuable export market for U.S. cherries, said Michael Scuse, acting under secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, in a USDA news release. Canada, China-Hong Kong and Taiwan are the top three.
Scuse called it great news for Northwest cherry growers and said U.S. fruit and vegetable exports are expected to surge in 2012 because of the high quality of their crops.
Australia purchased 2,334 metric tons of U.S. cherries in 2009, valued at $15.6 million, compared with $1.4 million worth in 1999 when the market first opened, the USDA said.
U.S. cherries in Australia are priced competitively with Australian cherries, particularly as the Australian dollar has strengthened in the last two years. U.S. and Australian cherries don’t directly compete since they are counter-seasonal.
The Western Australia market opened July 7 and the first cherries were shipped July 8 from Stemilt Growers Inc. in Wenatchee, Wash., said B.J. Thurlby, president of Northwest Cherry Growers in Yakima. Other shippers joined in July and August, delivering 25,000, 20-pound boxes of Northwest cherries to Western Australia, he said.
A total of 320,000 boxes were shipped from the PNW to all of Australia this season, he said. The target is 350,000 next year, he said. California also will gain market share, he said.
Continuing negotiations and a good track record in shipments to Eastern Australia led to acceptance in the West, Thurlby said.
Cherry access doesn’t mean U.S. apple and pear access in Australia any time soon, said Jim Archer, manager of Northwest Fruit Exporters in Yakima.
“They are completely separate issues,” Archer said.
Apples and pears are banned for the phytosanitary concern of the spread of fireblight, a disease that kills fruit trees.
U.S. efforts to gain access are on hold pending resolution of technical issues and an assessment of how well New Zealand does with its new access for its apples into Australia, Archer said.
10 Reasons to Love CA Wine
A living national treasure, with history and entrepreneurial spirit
California wines have been around for nearly 250 years, and the industry is the fourth largest producer of wine in the world. After Prohibition, California has led a wine quality revolution by combining art, science, innovation and tradition.
A leader in sustainable winegrowing and winemaking practices
With its statewide Sustainable Winegrowing Program (SWP), establishing strong environmental standards and practices from ground to glass, California vintners and winegrape growers are a model for other agricultural products and other wine regions in the U.S. and the world.
Comprised largely of family businesses
The vast majority of California’s 4,600 winegrape growers and 3,400 wineries are family-owned and operated businesses, many involving multiple generations.
Offers immense choice for wine drinkers, because of diverse growing regions, soils, climates, winemaking styles and people
With winegrapes grown in 48 of the state’s 58 counties, California counts 112 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Starting with the Spanish missionaries, to German, Swiss, French and Italian immigrants, to the modern day entrepreneurs and researchers, all have made their mark on California wines.
Inspired a culinary revolution
As the popularity of California wines has risen, so has the national focus on fresh seasonal cooking and dining. Many of America’s top chefs work in California’s wine country.
Provides careers for thousands
The California wine industry generates 820,000 jobs nationwide, with wages totaling $25.8 billion. The overall economic impact of the wine industry on the U.S. economy is $121.8 billion.
Creates beautiful travel destinations throughout the state
California is the most visited state in the U.S. for food and wine-related activities, with 21 million tourists visiting the state’s wine regions each year.
Offers unprecedented opportunities for women
Women have played a critical role in the California wine industry’s past, and today are taking lead positions in viticulture, winemaking, sales, marketing, hospitality and distribution. In the U.S., you’re just as likely to see a female as a male sommelier.
Keeps land in agriculture
Although less than 1 percent of California land is planted to vineyards, California wine accounts for $18.5 billion in retail value in the U.S. Winegrapes ensure that land stays in agriculture, and preserves open space and scenic pastoral landscapes.
Has driven a new “wine culture” in the U.S., inspiring people in all 50 states to establish wineries
Wine consumption has risen for 17 consecutive years in the U.S., and the proliferation of wine magazines, websites, blogs and yes, even a reality television show about wine, attests to the fact that wine is becoming more a part of mainstream American culture. California’s success in wine quality, production and innovation has helped inspire winemaking ventures in all 50 U.S. states.
Records Broken as Almond Harvest Is in Full Swing
A record 2,600-pounds-per-acre yield has been projected by USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service for the 2011–2012 California Almond crop, an increase of 200 pounds per acre, or 8%, over the previous yield-per-acre record set in 2008–2009. The California Almond objective forecast for the 2011–12 crop year is 1.95 billion meat pounds, which is based on 750,000 bearing acres. Overall, shipments were up 13%, reaching 1.668 billion pounds and marking the fifth consecutive year of record shipments across domestic and export markets.
For the second year, California shipped over 1 billion pounds to export destinations, an increase of 15% over 2010–11. Domestic shipments were up 9% over the previous year, at 490 million pounds. The top five export destinations (China, Spain, Germany, India and the United Arab Emirates) account for approximately 53% of total export shipments, while the top 10 destinations account for over 72% of export shipments. For the first time, China became the leading export destination, with shipments rising by 26% to reach 168 million pounds.
Walnut yield to be slightly lower in 2011
Capital Press
RED BLUFF, Calif. — Walnut growers are a week or two away from starting their harvest, which they expect to fall short of last year’s record load.
This year’s yield has been predicted at 485,000 tons, slightly lower than last year’s 503,000 tons, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
However, the mild spring and summer weather that has delayed the harvest for many growers has also made for high quality kernels, California Walnut Commission officials boast.
“We think with the nice wet winter we had and the good, mild spring and summer, the nuts have really filled out nicely,” said commission member Jack Mariani, who has about 600 acres of walnuts in Winters, Calif.
“We think they’re going to be nice and full and heavy, which is good,” Mariani said. “Last year we had a record crop. The state says it’s going to be a little below that this year. I’m hoping they’re wrong.”
About 99 percent of the nation’s walnuts come from California, which provides about 78 percent of the world’s supply. In the past year, about 40 percent of available product was shipped domestically and 60 percent was exported, making walnuts California’s fifth largest export, the commission reported.
California walnuts joined almonds and pistachios atop the $1 billion mark in value in 2010, the first time all three nuts had enjoyed that distinction.
Last year’s crop marked the third straight record yield and continued a fairly consistent decade-long trend of increases. Bearing acreage held steady this year with an estimated 220,000 acres of walnuts growing in the state.
A large crop will be needed to meet the world’s growing demand for walnuts, said Dennis Balint, CEO of the California Walnut Commission.
“The tonnage is projected to be lower than last year by about 4 percent, and when you consider we have virtually no inventory at this time, that’s not necessarily a good thing,” Balint said.
Carry-in inventories have remained tight, which meant record prices for growers last season and could mean more good prices this year.
“We kind of pinch ourselves and say this happens once every generation — the largest crop ever and highest prices ever,” Mariani said. “Obviously with the economy and what’s going on in the world we can’t get overly optimistic, but it just seems like our consumption continues to go up every year.”
The high yield in 2010 came despite spring and summer weather that caused a delay in the opening of the nuts, along with many of California’s other crops. Most growers in the Central Valley didn’t start their harvest until late September or early October, then a cold snap hit just as the harvest was wrapping up.
With growers fearing they might again be hit with unfavorable weather during their harvest, some have applied etheryl to induce hull split. Walnuts are ripe a couple of weeks before their hulls split naturally, so applying the spray can speed up the harvest, said Rick Buchner, a University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor here.
“Everybody’s really worried about a late harvest and early rain,” Buchner said. “There’s probably a lot of etheryl that’s been applied.”
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My name is Lynn Garber, I work at PMZ Commercial Real Estate in the Central Valley, CA. I specialize in Agricultural Properties, Farms & Ranches. Visit my website for available properties & up to date Real Estate & Agricultural news : http://www.LynnGarber.com.
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