Up until now, the growing conditions for California stone fruit have been optimal. Spring saw a nice amount of rainfall as well as good snowpack in the mountains, resulting in sufficient water availability for irrigation. In addition, temperatures have been relatively mild. "However, that is rapidly changing. The forecast is 110°F (43°C) and higher every day for the next 10 days," says Magnus Olson with Olson Family Farms who grows different organic stone fruit varieties. These temperatures do impact the fruit as it usually stops growing and starts ripening too quickly.
More labor available
On these extremely hot days, workers start picking the fruit earlier in the morning and are done by early afternoon, to prevent dangerous working conditions. "This year, it hasn't been much of an issue to find enough workers to pick the fruit. In fact, it has been a lot easier compared to previous years," Olson shared. The reason for it being that many labor-intensive crops have come out and are being replaced by crops that can be mechanically harvested. Stone fruit for instance is being replaced by almonds and pistachios and blueberry varieties that require hand picking are making room for varieties that can be mechanically harvested. "Labor has been one of the largest input costs and in combination with the challenge to find it, many growers have made the decision to switch to less labor-intensive crops over the years," said Olson.
Surface water
Irrigation is another large expense for growers. "We've been very fortunate these past two seasons to be able to use surface water instead of having to pump groundwater," said Olson. "During the real dry years, we sometimes relied on groundwater the entire season." However, those underground reserves don't get replenished in a timely manner. "It takes many years of good rainfall for these reserves to fill up again." Over the years, wells had to be drilled deeper and deeper in order to yield water. "When pulling from a well that's 30 to 40 feet deep, water levels could come back after a year or two years of good rainfall. However, water levels from a well that's 300 or 400 feet deep may not come back in a lifetime."
Supply exceeds demand
With many stone fruit trees having been pulled, does that mean supply is lower and prices are higher? "Yes and no," said Olson. "Last year, supply was relatively low, which resulted in strong demand and higher prices." This year on the other hand, the fruit set was better and production volume is up. "We are in a supply exceeds demand situation and retailers have the luxury of being more selective. They prefer larger size fruit, which is much more valued than smaller fruit this season." All in all, this season is much more competitive compared to last year.
While it's the middle of summer, demand for peaches, nectarines, and plums is expected to trail off after July 4th. "To me, there is nothing like a good juicy peach, it's truly a taste of summer," said Olson. "However, consumers gradually start shifting gears."
For more information:
Magnus Olson
Olson Family Farms
Tel: (+1) 559-393-7225
www.olsonfamilyfarms.com