NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Hazelnut yields fall short of expectations in Oregon
USDA had
predicted record
2018 crop
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
Oregon hazelnut growers
were anticipating a record-
high crop in 2018, though it
appears the harvest is com-
ing in short of expectations.
The USDA National
Agricultural Statistics Ser-
vice predicted 52,000 tons of
hazelnuts in August, which
would have beaten the pre-
vious record of 49,500 tons
in 2001. Instead, local pro-
cessors say they are looking
at between 46,000 to 48,000
tons, which is higher than
last year’s total of 32,000
tons but still not on par
with increases in handling
capacity.
Larry George, president
and CEO of George Packing
Company in Newberg, said
he does not know exactly
why hazelnut yields did
not meet record forecasts.
He said it looks like one of
the primary new nut vari-
eties, named Jefferson, did
not perform as well as pre-
viously thought when the
orchards were planted in
2007.
“I think the new variet-
ies, for whatever reason,
Eric Mortenson/Capital Press
Though the USDA predicted a record hazelnut crop in 2018, yields are coming in
short of expectations, according to Oregon processors.
we just overestimated what
their production would be,”
George said.
George said it is also
possible growers harvested
fewer early season orchards
due to low prices caused by
economic turmoil overseas,
including Chinese tariffs
and currency devaluation in
Turkey, the world’s leading
producer of hazelnuts.
“We’ll know in a few
weeks,” he said.
Whatever the reason, a
less-than-expected hazelnut
crop does not bode well for
processors such as George
Packing Company, which
has invested millions of
dollars to increase capac-
ity. Hazelnut acreage has
roughly doubled in Oregon
over the past decade, up to
72,353 acres, spurred by
new varieties such as Jeffer-
son, Yamhill and McDonald
that are resistant to Eastern
Filbert Blight.
With the growth in acre-
age, George said there was
a rush to expand along-
side the orchards. Nearly all
U.S. commercial hazelnuts
are grown in Oregon, and
George Packing Company is
the industry’s largest proces-
sor and marketer.
But the volume simply
has not arrived yet, George
said, creating an overcapac-
ity on production lines.
“You have this massive
excess capacity and no huge
volume to run,” he said. “We
were excited about a record
crop. We’re not the only
ones who made significant
investments, but it just never
materialized.”
Patrick Gabrish, vice
president of sales and mar-
keting for Hazelnut Growers
of Oregon, a member-owned
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
WEDNESDAY
Fog, then some
sun
Cloudy and milder
46° 30°
55° 42°
FRIDAY
Clouds and sun
SATURDAY
Sun and clouds
Partly sunny
58° 40°
53° 34°
45° 27°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
58° 39°
60° 39°
55° 35°
OREGON FORECAST
49° 30°
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
56/49
47/31
45/23
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
45/32
Lewiston
54/44
43/28
Astoria
59/50
Pullman
Yakima 43/29
55/44
49/31
Portland
Hermiston
56/42
The Dalles 44/28
Salem
Corvallis
56/38
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
48/29
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
59/37
56/31
52/32
Ontario
46/20
Caldwell
Burns
35°
31°
52°
34°
74° (1999) 8° (2014)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
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Last year to date
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Albany
57/39
0.00"
0.01"
0.45"
6.46"
8.12"
7.73"
Today
Medford
62/32
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Senate Demo-
crats in Washington state on Monday elected
Sen. Andy Billig of Spokane to be their new
leader.
Billig takes over immediately, replacing
Sen. Sharon Nelson, who announced earlier
this year she wasn’t seeking re-election to her
seat.
“I am humbled to lead this diverse and tal-
ented group of senators,” Billig said in a writ-
ten statement. “This caucus recognizes that
bipartisanship and viewpoints from every cor-
ner of Washington are crucial in moving our
state forward.”
He takes over a majority that has already
increased its numbers to a 27-22 margin fol-
lowing last week’s election. Two other races
for Republican-held seats are currently in
recount territory.
Billig, who was first elected to the state
House in 2011, has served in the Senate since
2013. He’s the only Democrat in the Senate
from eastern Washington.
Nelson, a former banker and environmen-
tal activist, was first elected to the Senate in
2010 after serving in the House for three years.
She became leader of the Senate Democratic
caucus five years ago, and became majority
leader after Democrats regained a one-seat
majority following the 2017 election.
Nelson said that she is “leaving the Senate
in good hands with a majority leader who will
truly put people first.”
State issues new opioid guidelines
aimed at curbing abuse
EUGENE (AP) — The Oregon Health
Authority has released new guidelines for
prescribing opioids to patients with short-
term acute pain.
The Register-Guard reports that it’s part
of a larger strategy to curb opioid abuse.
The guidelines include advising doctors
not to consider opioids for mild to moderate
pain in patients who haven’t had past expo-
sure to opioids. Doctors should also check
on the patient’s history of substance abuse
problems, educate them about safe storage
and disposal and prescribe the lowest effec-
tive dose.
State Health Officer Dr. Katrina Hedberg
says most people who end up using opioids
in the long term are those who started with a
prescription to treat mild to moderate acute
pain, such as a broken arm.
BOOK & LYRICS BY
WSW 6-12
WSW 6-12
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
First
ERIC IDLE
Wed.
ENE 3-6
N 4-8
Boardman
Pendleton
55/19
Sen. Andy Billig of Spokane is
new Senate majority leader
WINDS (in mph)
48/21
47/7
0.00"
0.10"
0.50"
8.25"
14.12"
10.49"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 47/26
57/42
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
46/30
48/35
28°
25°
51°
34°
80° (1999) 7° (1955)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
56/44
Aberdeen
42/30
40/29
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
55/47
vars,” Wiman said. “We’ve
been doing everything we
can to update the nutrient
requirements for the new
trees.”
This year was already
challenging for the hazelnut
industry as a perfect storm of
global factors combined to
drive down prices for grow-
ers. First, China slapped a 15
percent and 25 percent retal-
iatory tariffs on the product
from the U.S. in response to
the Trump administration’s
escalating trade war. Then,
the Turkish lira plummeted
in value, allowing the coun-
try to flood the market with
cheap hazelnuts.
For the first time, growers
accepted a three-tier price
system at 62 cents per pound
for in-shell hazelnut variet-
ies, and between 81 and 91
cents per pound for “shell-
out” varieties, which com-
mand more value for larger
kernels.
That is lower than last
year’s price of 96.5 cents per
pound for all hazelnuts, and
$1.18 per pound in 2016.
Terry Ross, executive
director of the Hazelnut
Growers Bargaining Associ-
ation, said they system was
meant to encourage growers
to plant more shell-out vari-
eties to tap into newer and
potentially more lucrative
markets.
BRIEFLY
THURSDAY
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
44° 28°
co-op representing 150 local
hazelnut farmers, said he is
not overly concerned about
lower yields. He is quick to
point out that 33,000 acres
of orchards still have not
reached nut-bearing age.
When they do, he said the
spike in volume may help to
stabilize prices and develop
new markets.
“There’s going to be
plenty of crop to work with
over the next few years,”
Gabrish said.
Both Gabrish and George
raved about this year’s crop
quality, aided by a dry har-
vest season that minimized
mud and mold. Months
of drought, however, also
emphasized the need for
growers to adopt irriga-
tion and nutrient programs
to maximize yields through
difficult summers.
Nik Wiman, orchard spe-
cialist for Oregon State Uni-
versity, said growers with
dryland hazelnut orchards
should consider adding drip
irrigation if they can. Mean-
while, the university con-
tinues to research nutrient
requirements for new trees,
as well as how best to defend
against emerging pests and
diseases, such as bacterial
blight and the Pacific flat-
headed borer.
“Everything we have is
based on the old (nut) culti-
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