Fruit fortunes growing

BY SARA KEDDY

Kings County Register

Optimism is growing in the orchard.

Nova Scotia fruitgrowers are capitalizing on some new opportunities, and Agrapoint’s Bill Craig says it’s been encouraging to witness in the last few years.

“The fruit industry is more healthy in the past few years than it was through the ‘90s - there are more than survival returns,” he says. “Where the farmers struggled to survive, now they want to renew and can have a reasonable lifestyle, and not live and work on a shoestring.”

Close to 150 industry growers, researchers and suppliers signed on for this year’s orchard tour August 12, organized by the N.S. Fruitgrowers Association through Western Kings County.

While Craig attributes new energy in the industry to the wild international marketing success of the new Honey Crisp variety and farmers’ move to plantings in the last couple of years, fruitgrowers’ association manager Dela Erith says it’s also rooted in a strategic plan formalized in 2001 and bearing fruit today.

“You have to realize how important a good strategy is - and making it work. We’re getting funding programs, we’re getting better returns - they’re making a little money and not below the cost of production, and they’re reinvesting in their orchards.

“There is a new optimism, and apple growers are looking at a completely new thinking, they’re refreshed and even thinking of getting their own children involved in the farms.”

As for this fall’s crop, Craig expects it to be about five percent lower in volume than 2007’s 2.3 million bushels.

“It depends on how things size up now, but we’ve downsized our estimates from June. There was a trace of hail, disease looks OK and we’ve been through our traditional July/ August drought period, but there’s been no stress in the orchards.

“I think most growers will be pleased.”