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June 26, 2015 CapitalPress.com 7 Demand high for record blueberry crop T By DAN WHEAT Capital Press PASCO, Wash. — Wash- ington will harvest a record 110 million pounds of blue- berries this season surpassing Georgia as top producer. But the real story is Wash- ington is barely keeping up with demand, Alan Schreiber, administrator of the Washing- ton State Blueberry Commis- sion in Pasco, said. “Demand for blueberries is stunningly high. Right now if you wanted to buy processed Washington blueberries, you can’t. We’re all sold out and we have been since January and February,” Schreiber said. A USDA National Agricul- tural Statistics Service report shows 134 million pounds of frozen blueberries and juice in cold storage at the end of April, but Schreiber said al- most all of that has been sold and is just being held until it is used. “There is no oversupply of blueberries in the U.S.,” he said. A majority of the 2015 Washington processed crop is spoken for, he said. By processed he means mainly frozen for ice cream, pastries, and mixed frozen berries, for all kinds of uses. Processed, about 70 percent y Washington is expected to surpass Georgia as the top blueberry producer in 2015, according to Washington State Blueberry Commission estimates. 120 M 80 7 (T ame, millions of pounds) 40 Sources: Washington State Blueberry Commission; Oregon Blueberry Commission; USDA NASS W *Estimate Alan Kenaga/Capital Press 0 2007 Dan Wheat/Capital Press Blueberries at Blueberry Hills Farms, Manson, Wash., June 18. Washington expects to harvest 110 million pounds of blueberries this year, making it No. 1 in the nation. of Washington’s crop, also means dried and juice con- centrate. Thirty percent of the crop is sold in the fresh mar- ket. “I talked to a rep of a large Eastern Washington organic grower. They are picking now. They said demand is high, the price is high and people are screaming for organic blue- berries for processing,” Sch- reiber said on June 17. The price is $2 per pound, he said. Last year, Washing- ton’s fresh price averaged Washington has 13,000 $1.84 per pound and pro- acres in production with 2,500 cessed, 96 cents per pound, organic. It has increased pro- according to USDA’s Nation- duction 10 years in a row and al Agricultural Statistics Ser- vice. Consumer awareness of KHDOWK EHQH¿WV RI EOXHEHUULHV is driving demand, Schreiber said. Blueberries are a good VRXUFHRIGLHWDU\¿EHUDQGYL tamin C and are high in anti- oxidants which protect against cancer, heart disease and other age-related diseases. ’09 produced 96 million pounds in 2014 valued at $120.5 mil- lion. There are 175 growers in a dozen counties on both sides of the state. Georgia grew 98 million pounds worth $109.8 million in 2014. Oregon was 86 mil- ’11 ’13 2015* lion pounds at $106.7 million. Other top producing states are Michigan, California, New Jersey and North Carolina. Georgia’s crop this year is forecast at 78 million pounds and Michigan, 95 million to 100 million pounds, Schreiber said. Prop. 2 blamed for decline in egg production in California In California, the drought is also taking a toll on every- one — from commercial pro- SACRAMENTO — Mini- ducers to youngsters bringing mum cage sizes under Propo- chickens to local fairs. Mi- sition 2 have led to fewer hens chael Willis, a 4-H member laying fewer eggs in Califor- from Happy Valley, Calif., nia, according to industry rep- said his family has already resentatives. IDFHG¿QHVIRUXVLQJWRRPXFK Poultry farmers in the water. Golden State produced 311 ³,W¶VEHHQUHDOO\GLI¿FXOW´ million eggs in April, down Willis said while showing his Tim Hearden/Capital Press 9 million from March and a poultry project at the Shas- decrease of 78 million from A dozen large Grade AA eggs ta District Fair in Anderson, April 2014, the U.S. Depart- ¿OODFRQWDLQHU(JJSURGXFWLRQ &DOLI³:KHQ\RX¿OOXSWKHLU ment of Agriculture reported. has declined in California as water and run the hose, you The production decline producers comply with new have to wait until the water comes as an average of 13.2 cage requirements under gets cold.” million egg-layers were on Proposition 2. But farmers mostly blame hand in California in April, the drop in production on compared to nearly 16.8 mil- er eggs, although prices have the requirement that each lion in the same month last stabilized and even dropped egg-laying hen have 116 year, according to the USDA’s slightly last week, according square inches in a cage to 3DFL¿F 5HJLRQ 3RXOWU\ 5H to the USDA’s shell egg mar- spread its wings. The Hu- port. The state had 17.6 mil- ket report. The benchmark mane Society of the United lion egg-laying chickens in price for small eggs was $2.63 States-sponsored initiative 2013, the National Agricultur- as of June 12. banned so-called battery cag- Prices for shell eggs have es as well as veal crates and al Statistics Service reported. Rather than spending mil- risen nationwide because of gestation crates for pigs. lions of dollars to build new fa- the deadly outbreak of avian All shell eggs sold in the cilities, many farmers are rais- LQÀXHQ]D LQ WKH 86 ZKLFK state must meet the standard ing fewer birds in their existing has shuttered farms in 15 set by Proposition 2, regard- structures to comply with the states and led to blanket bans less of where they were pro- minimum cage requirements on American poultry products duced. HSUS argues the law under Proposition 2, which in China and South Korea. sparked a national movement voters passed in 2008. The estimated price for a to improve conditions for “Less hens, more space,” dozen large Grade A eggs rose laying hens, noting that other said Debbie Murdock, execu- to $1.66 nationally in June, a states including Oregon and WLYHGLUHFWRURIWKH3DFL¿F(JJ 30-cent increase, according to Washington are phasing out and Poultry Association. a USDA supply and demand smaller cages and food ser- The drop in production is forecast. The agency predicts vice companies such as Burg- a key factor as prices in the nationwide average prices er King and Starbucks are go- Golden State have soared well may get as high as $1.87 per ing cage-free in their supply above $3 per carton for larg- dozen by the fourth quarter. chains. By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press 26-2/#7 26-7/#6 26-1/#5