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October 16, 2015 CapitalPress.com 5 GMO ban supporters seek to intervene the GMO ban and lack the legal standing to oppose the policy in court, among other claims. At this point, it’s too early WRGLVFXVVWKHVSHFL¿FVRIWKHVH By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI ordinance, which voters passed legal theories, said Melissa Capital Press in 2014. Wischerath, an attorney for Sis- Supporters of the prohibition If allowed to intervene, kiyou Seeds and OSFF. against genetically engineered they plan to argue an Oregon “Right now, the focus is on crops in Oregon’s Josephine law that pre-empts most local getting in the door,” she said, County want to defend the poli- governments from regulating referring to their motion to in- cy against a lawsuit that seeks to JHQHWLFDOO\ PRGL¿HG RUJDQLVPV tervene. invalidate it. violates the state and federal The county hasn’t objected Siskiyou Seeds, an organic constitutions, according to court to the motion, but the Whites are seed company, and Oregonians documents. opposed to it because they say for Safe Farms and Families, an The seed company and the neither Siskiyou Seeds or OSFF organization that advocated for advocacy group also plan to ar- ³KDVDVXI¿FLHQWLQWHUHVWLQWKLV the ban, are seeking to intervene gue that the farmers — Robert controversy to support interven- LQDODZVXLW¿OHGE\WZRVXJDU and Shelley Ann White — are tion.” beet farmers against the county time-barred from challenging John DiLorenzo, attorney for Proponents want to defend policy in Oregon’s Josephine County lawsuit WKHIDUPHUV¿OHGDFRXUWGRFX- ment arguing the validity or in- validity of the ordinance doesn’t affect either party in any signif- icant way. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Nov. 4. While the Josephine County GMO ban was passed last year, the county government only announced that it planned to en- force the ordinance this summer. 7KH :KLWHV ¿OHG WKHLU ODZ- suit shortly thereafter, claiming the ordinance would prevent them from planting genetically engineered sugar beets as they had planned. Siskiyou Seeds fears that such sugar beets will prevent the company from growing Swiss chard and table beets for seed due to the possibility of cross-pollination. Don Tipping, the seed com- pany’s owner, claims that a WUDQVJHQLFVXJDUEHHW¿HOGSODQW- ed by Syngenta in 2012 caused him not to grow related crops. In 2010, Tipping unwittingly planted corn that had cross-pol- linated with a transgenic variety, which forced him to destroy the FURS DW D VLJQL¿FDQW ¿QDQFLDO loss, he said in a court docu- ment. “Based on my research and experience, I believe there is no biologically plausible way to keep the genetically engineered genie in the bottle,” Tipping said. “If genetically engineered crops are grown in Josephine County then they will con- taminate and cause damage to traditional crops and it is only a question of how quickly this contamination will occur and KRZVLJQL¿FDQWWKHGDPDJHZLOO be.” DiLorenzo, attorney for the farmers, said that Tipping’s corn problem would have occurred regardless of the GMO ban be- cause he bought the seed from out-of-state. As for the feared cross-pol- lination with sugar beets, that possibility was entirely specula- tive, he said. Slightly smaller apple crop may end up helping prices By DAN WHEAT Capital Press Apple dumping issue is still unresolved in Mexico in 2013 at less than fair value, damaging Chihuahua growers. CHELAN, Wash. — Wash- That’s unlikely because 2013 ington exported a record num- ZDVVXFKDSUR¿WDEOH\HDU)UHG ber of apples to Mexico over the Scarlett, manager of Northwest past season, approximately 15.5 Fruit Exporters in Yakima, has million boxes, but it’s not likely VDLG1)(LVDQRQSUR¿WFRUSR- to repeat that in the new season. ration managing export proce- The industry is still waiting dures of apples and cherries. to hear if Mexico will impose More than 40 Washington any duty for alleged U.S. apple apple packers responded to a dumping in Mexico in 2013. Mexican Ministry of Economia That’s just one factor that could questionnaire by a Feb. 13 dead- slow sales. There’s also a larger line and 12 were chosen for fur- domestic crop in Mexico, fewer ther review to determine if they Washington Red and Golden would be assessed a duty. Those Delicious to be shipped to Mex- not chosen could be assessed ico and a stronger dollar that a weighted average of the 12 lessens foreign buying power. if there are duties, Scarlett has “This year probably will be said. down drastically for us. They A preliminary determination buy a lot of Goldens and our ZDV ¿UVW WKRXJKW SRVVLEOH LQ Goldens (industry-wide) are April or May. That slid to July down 3.5 million to 4 million or August. boxes,” said Tom Riggan, gen- “We’ve been told by our eral manager of Chelan Fresh legal counsel that they (Mexi- Marketing in Chelan, one of the can Ministry of Economia) are larger exporters to Mexico. close to a preliminary decision. Instead of 15.5 million, We’ve heard that two or three 40-pound boxes of apples, times over the past couple of Washington more likely can ex- months,” Riggan said, adding pect to ship 11 million to 12 mil- Chelan Fresh Marketing is one lion boxes to Mexico this sea- of the 12. son, Riggan said. Goldens, Reds Riggan said he doesn’t know and Gala are the main varieties. what to expect but that if a duty Following a 40-day phy- is imposed it could last a number tosanitary cold treatment, early of years. shipments will begin in late Oc- Keith Mathews, CEO and tober or early November. Heavy general manager of First Fruits shipments are usually January Marketing of Washington, in through April after the Mexican Yakima, said Mexican consum- domestic crop is mostly sold ers are more quality oriented out. than they once were and eat Last Dec. 4, the Chihua- more produce and seek more hua apple growers association, than the basic U.S. consumer 81,)587¿OHGDFODLPLQWKH does. Mexican federal register al- “So I hope Mexico continues leging U.S. shippers, mostly to be an important market for from Washington, sold apples us,” he said. By DAN WHEAT Capital Press Dan Wheat/Capital Press &ULVWLQD(VFDOHUDSDFNV*DODDSSOHVDW1RUWKHUQ)UXLW&R(DVW :HQDWFKHH:DVK2FW7KHVHZHUHGHFHQWVL]HEXWWKHLQGXV- WU\KDVWRRPDQ\VPDOO*DOD to $20.90. Red Delicious was $18 to $18.90 on 2.5-inch ex- tra fancy and $18 to $20.90 on premiums. Prices for larger fruit was VLJQL¿FDQWO\ KLJKHU WR $28.90 for Gala 88 extra fan- cy, and $28 to $32.90 for pre- miums. But the preferred size of 88 apples per box is not plenti- ful. There’s a lot more smaller fruit at 113, 125 or more per box. “We’ve stepped up like we should into the high $30s in Gala 88. I don’t know that last year we had any time in the high $30s with Gala,” BUYING 6” and UP Alder and Maple Saw Logs, Standing Timber www.cascadehardwood.com ROP-40-5-4/#24 Dan Wheat/Capital Press 5HG'HOLFLRXVDSSOHVÀRDWLQZDWHUHDUO\LQWKHLUSDVVDJHWKURXJK WKHSDFNLQJOLQHDW0F'RXJDOO6RQV,QF(DVW:HQDWFKHH Wash., last April. Reds, Goldens and Gala are the top varieties H[SRUWHGWR0H[LFR WENATCHEE, Wash. — With Washington’s 2015 ap- ple harvest roughly 80 percent complete, the latest estimate of total crop size is down 5.6 percent from Aug. 1 which may help prices. The crop is still the third largest in history at 118.4 mil- lion, 40-pound boxes. That’s down from the 125.2-mil- lion-box Aug. 1 forecast and 15.7 percent down from the record 140-million box 2014 crop. Average asking prices of new crop Gala 2.5-inch-di- ameter extra fancy was $18 to $20.90 per 40-pound box on Oct. 8, according to USDA. Premiums of the same size were $20 to $22.90. Golden Delicious 2.5- inch extra fancy was $16 to $18.90 with premiums at $18 said Keith Matthews, CEO and general manager of First Fruits Marketing on Washing- ton in Yakima. “Drop down to the pre- mium Gala 125 range and its more under $20. That’s the hard crush. Growers need $18 to pay costs. There’s too much small fruit,” he said. “Retailers are clamoring for larger fruit. 100s to 125 is not a size most U.S. retailers carry and we’re in an over supply of that.” Small Gala will stay at low prices all season, he said. But other varieties, includ- ing Red Delicious and Granny Smith, and later varieties, Fuji and Cripps Pink, are sizing up better and will bring better prices, Matthews said. Excessive heat in June, when apples were develop- ing, is blamed for small fruit and softness. Drought and hail didn’t help but were lesser fac- tors. SAGE Fact #118 Dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers create large reservoirs that allow barges to navigate more than 465 miles from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston, Idaho. 42-1/#4N Visit the SAGE Center: Sunday - Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday & Saturday 10am - 6pm 42-7/#6