Peaches
Peaches saw an early bloom at the end of February. There was a hail storm on Cinco de Mayo that damaged blocks of peaches, however, we were able to meet our expected tonnage this season. Organic peach harvest started on May 31st and finished on July 19th. Conventional harvest started a bit later on June 21st and wrapped up on August 27th. Quality was exceptional throughout the entire harvest.
Avalon Palermo Orchard – The orchard in Palermo is now over a year old and growing strong.
From CCPA: CALIFORNIA CLING PEACH CROP DOWN 4.5% FROM LAST YEAR
Peach tons went from 336,000 in 2015 down to 320,000 in 2016. Also, average case yields were down another 4.5% from standard. This is a reduction of 16,000 tons in peach harvest/deliveries and another 16,000 tons equivalent loss in reduced case yield (unusable peaches delivered to canner – hail, soft, green, undersize).
Tomatoes
Organic Tomatoes – Once planted, the tomato crop was healthy and matured very nicely. Organic tomato harvest began on July 6th and completed on August 2nd. Harvest was received as anticipated.
Pear Shapes – Pear shape tomatoes got off to a good start with excellent soil and weather conditions for planting. Harvest started August 3rd and continued through the month until September 4th. The crop quality was excellent and we met expected tonnage volumes.
Conventional Tomatoes – Harvest started on August 3rd and finished up towards the end of September on the 23rd. Fruit quality held up nicely throughout the season.
Overall, this season has turned out to be a positive one. The processing tomato industry is expected to receive around 12 million tons.
Apricots
Warm weather conditions spurred fruit growth which lead to above average size. Harvest began 5 days earlier than last year on May 28th and ended June 18th. Overall size and quality were above average. We were able to secure the tonnage to make a full pack. The canning apricot industry ended the season with a total of 12,800 tons.
Grapes
Bud break was called the second week in March. Both districts were slightly ahead of last year, but berries and bunches sized well. Grape harvest started on July 23rd and completed on August 30th. Harvest went well and growers made their estimated tonnage deliveries. The cocktail grape industry received 20,000 tons this harvest.
Pears
Strung out bloom during fruit set caused mixed maturity on the trees. Despite the mixed maturity, fruit developed well. Pear harvest began July 6th and finished up on August 20th. Fruit quality and size were great. The growers made their estimated tons for a full pack. The canning pear industry received 91,000 tons of pears this season.
Pineapple
The crop remains poor and raw material pricing is ranging from 10.5 THB – 12 THB / per kg. When all canned pineapple producers open their respective facilities the price should increase to 12 THB / kg as this would represent more demand with limited change in supply. The crop is expected to improve from November – January but then a drop again in February.
California Water Update
California’s 2016 Water Year came to a close, ending a fifth consecutive year marked by meager precipitation that fell more often as rain than snow.
Record warm temperatures created an early and below-average runoff that was in large part absorbed by parched soil before ever reaching the State’s reservoirs. The water content of the California Sierra snowpack, often referred to as ‘the State’s largest reservoir,’ flows each spring into a series of above ground storage reservoirs that essentially serve as California’s water savings accounts in order to meet the growing demands of an uncertain climate future.
A ‘water year,’ a 12-month time period during which precipitation totals are measured, runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year. Water Year 2016 is officially listed in the record books as ‘Dry’ statewide.
Sixty percent of the state currently remains in severe or extreme drought. While mandatory water restrictions today vary across California, making water conservation a California way of life remains a statewide goal and a top priority in Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s State Water Action Plan.
-Department of Water Resources: September 29, 2016