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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWashington farmers are dumping unprofitable apples
SPOKANE, Wash. -- A record crop of apples, coupled with the West Coast port slowdown earlier this year, is taking a toll on Washington apple growers.
Nearly $100 million worth of apples that cannot be sold have been dumped into fields across central Washington, the nations most productive apple region. The apples are being left to rot and compost in the hot sun, an unusual occurrence for an industry that has found ways to market ever-growing crops.
If we wouldnt have had the port slowdown, we wouldnt have needed this, Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commission in Wenatchee, said of the dumping.
He estimated that apple exporters lost at least three weeks of their season because of labor problems at West Coast ports. Along with a record supply of apples, that created surpluses that could not be shipped profitably to markets or processors, Fryhover said.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article22584411.html
[font color=330099]Note that none of the farmers are dumping unprofitable weed...[/font]
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msongs
(67,405 posts)Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)When Northwest Arkansas was the nation's leading apple producer, they at least had local canning and vinegar companies that could handle excess production.
Javaman
(62,530 posts)I like pie.
meow2u3
(24,761 posts)eom
KatyMan
(4,190 posts)n/t
Andy823
(11,495 posts)There they are used for applesauce, and juice, but when you have as huge a crop as there was last year, then can't ship them out, there are so many that go to the processor that sooner or later they can't use anymore.
I live in central Washington, worked in the apple industry for many years, and the problem is that so many big corporations are buying up orchards, or investing with the all ready big orchard growers that huge crops are doing to be a problem for anyone that is not "huge". Some growers just keep on planting more and more year after year. They buy up old orchards buy up land to turn into new orchards, and it seems like they will never stop.
Now the sheds do dump apples for people to use for feed for livestock, for free since they need places to dump them.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)I never knew that! And, remember, I used to visit out there, albeit before apple season.
One hopes they still have plenty of local orchards like upstate New York has.
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)Last edited Sat May 30, 2015, 05:48 AM - Edit history (1)
http://www.arkansasapplefestival.org/lincoln.htmProduction was centered in Benton and Washington counties. One of my teachers used to have a huge orchard, but I think that's been turned into yet another housing development. There was also a huge orchard along Old US 71 at the intersection with Apple Blossom Road in Lowell called Dixie Orchards, but it has long since been bulldozed. As has a large orchard between Farmington and Prairie Grove. There also used to be two vinegar companies in Rogers. One of them has been gone for many years, don't know about the other one.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)factories with cheap labor to can the apple sauce and bottle the cider vinegar. I can't see anyone here setting up a situation that might create jobs in our present climate of free trade. More for them. Less for us.
mainer
(12,022 posts)Couldn't have sold it as animal feed?
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Free-range apple-fed meat would sell for plenty at Pike Place Market.
mainer
(12,022 posts)They roamed a woodsy area with lots of old apples trees, and they'd nom nom nom.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Where there are apple orchards, there's applewood. After a while the trees become unproductive and have to be cut down.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)reading of a wine glut in France, and it got to the point where the government actually ended up paying farmers to pull up vineyards. It's been a while since that happened so the details may be different, but that's what they end up doing with an excess in the agriculture sector.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)not entirely going to waste.
Andy823
(11,495 posts)I see where apples have been dumped in fields, and the cattle seem to love them. The also dump them and the deer come down and eat them. We don't have many wild horses around here.
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)...with cheap Chinese apples starting around 15 years ago. Many farmers where I grew up had to tear out their apple orchards and plant other crops because they couldn't compete anymore.
Andy823
(11,495 posts)I love in central Washington and a lot of our apples flooded the markets down there, but around here there are apple orchards everywhere. Thousands and thousands of acres, and still growing. Do you live back east? I do know that for awhile there the growers here where worried about China's apples, and some countries in Asia started buying from China, but we still grow tons of apples out here, and people are planting more and more everyday, Big corporate growers that is. Most of the smaller orchards have been bought out by the bigger growers.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of apples exports by country during 2013:
United States: $1,120,563,000 (14.0% of total apples exports)
China: $1,030,196,000 (12.9%)
Italy: $934,683,000 (11.7%)
Chile: $856,932,000 (10.7%)
France: $652,166,000 (8.2%)
Poland: $568,674,000 (7.1%)
China is the largest producer, but eats a lot of apples. Russia imports more than anyone.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)Taitertots
(7,745 posts)Hurray for capitalism. Leave the food to rot in the fields to keep the price for apples inflated.
a la izquierda
(11,794 posts)You'd think the excess apples could be sent to homeless shelters and food banks in the region.
But god forbid, that would be socialism. Or something.
I gave a homeless man an apple the other day. He was so happy.
Andy823
(11,495 posts)Are not fit to eat. The crop was so large and when the dock workers went on strike, the apples that were supposed to be going to other countries were unable to be shipped. True, some of them may have been salvaged earlier, but after so long in storage they don't hold up well, and now with the new crops coming on, they needed to get rid of the worst ones. Those who had apples on the early market weren't hurt so bad, but those who put a lot of apples in storage last year so they could "hopeful" get more money this spring, lost money instead. When we have record crops, the price is down during harvest, but can go up come the next spring.