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Ontario Apple
Growers Newsletter - May 27, 2005
IN THIS
ISSUE
National Competitiveness Strategy for Tree Fruit
and Grapes | Safety Nets Update | GPS
Mapping of Commercial Apple Orchards
USDA Plans Apple Purchases | News
from around the globe | Apple Storage Holdings
- May 1, 2005
MacDonald's Launches Fruit'n Walnut Salad
| Crop Protection Materials | Publication
360 on the Web
IFP Fruit Production Demonstration Sites
| Research Update | Apples
High in Antioxidants
National
Competitiveness Strategy for Tree Fruit and Grapes
The CHC Apple Working Group is putting the finishing
touches on the replant proposal. A draft Executive Summary
is attached with this newsletter. This has been sent to the
Honourable Andy Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, for his
consideration. >>BACK TO TOP
Safety Nets Update
- SDRM - Agricorp has
confirmed that SDRM will be available to cover the 2005
crop for those growers who have non-calendar year ends which
fall on a date in advance of the 2005 crop.
- CAIS Deposit - It is
expected that CAIS participants will be allowed to receive
a 100% rebate of their CAIS deposits. If approved, a letter
will be forwarded directly to each participant stating that
unless Agricorp hears otherwise, they will instruct banks
to rebate the deposits directly to the producer.
- Future CAIS Deposit Options -
Governments are still considering options for future years.
A number of options are being considered ranging from zero
deposit requirements to some sort of premium or deductible
requirement. Stay tuned.
- SDRM/Production Insurance -
The horticultural sector has made a formal request that
if suitable Production Insurance products can be developed
that SDRM continue. A proposal has been developed for a
new program "Self-Directed Production Insurance" which would
be an alternative to SDRM.
- Hurt in Hort - As you
are aware, the horticultural sector did not receive any
additional financial support from OMAF for 2004. A request
has been submitted by the OFVGA for similar support as was
provided to the Grains & Oil seeds sector. No response
has been received to date. >>BACK TO TOP
GPS Mapping of Commercial
Apple Orchards
The OAG has received approval for funding to conduct
the GPS mapping of commercial apple orchards. OAG has contracted
with Agricorp to conduct the mapping. The project will be
underway in June. All OAG members will receive an information
package on the project in a separate mailing.
This is part of the overall Apple Tree Census.
Those growers with less than 10 acres of apple orchards will
receive the traditional apple census forms. This information
will be combined with the results derived from the GPS mapping
project to provide a complete inventory of apples produced
in Ontario. This information is vital to the effective promotion
and marketing of Ontario apples. Your cooperation is appreciated. >>BACK TO TOP
USDA Plans
Apple Purchases
The USDA has announced it will purchase up to 78
million pounds of apples and apple products for distribution
through their federal food programs including the School Lunch
Program. This is in addition to the 52 million pounds purchased
since the beginning of the fiscal year. This is a great example
of a government providing marketing support for domestically
produced products. Our Canadian and provincial governments
could use this as an example of a program that works. >>BACK TO TOP
News from
around the Globe
NEW YORK - New York state
apple growers have decided: They want to stick together. Growers
voted 168 to 69 to renew the New York State Apple Marketing
Order (AMO). The New York Marketing Order has three tasks:
promoting the sale of New York apples, conducting market research
and providing informational services to growers. The order
collects dues from all commercial apple growers in the state.
Each grower pays 8 cents (US) per bushel of apples sold at
farm stands, 16 cents per bushel of apples sold through a
packer and 8 cents per cwt. for apples sold for processing.
The order collects about $1.6 Million US per year from its
members. Growers must vote to renew or discontinue the order
every eight years.
CHINA - Importation of
Chinese apples into Canada continues to increase:
2002 |
7 shipments
(first year of trial period) |
2003 |
44 shipments
|
2004 |
102 shipments
|
2005 |
47 shipments
(for first three months of 2005) |
>>BACK TO TOP
US Apple Storage
Holdings
Total March movement of fresh and processing apples
of 20.5 million bushels was up 18 percent from movement in
2004 and 5 percent above the five-year average. The strong
movement is attributed to great supplies of fresh apples and
continued strong demand this season. Movement of fresh-market
apples from CA storage during March was 12.5 million bushels,
24 percent higher than the same time last year, and up 8 percent
from the five-year March average. Despite the increased movement,
US apple holdings on May 1 st were up 46% from 2004. 80% of
all US apple holdings are in Washington.
Ontario Apple Holdings - May 1, 2005
Apple holdings in Ontario at 1.4 million bushels
is 6% higher than 2004. Total Canadian holdings on May 1 st
were 4.2 million bushels, up 20% from 2004.
For further information on storage holdings
please see Storage
Holdings May 1, 2005.>>BACK TO TOP
McDonald's
Launches Fruit 'n Walnut TM Salad
McDonald's has launched the new Fruit 'n Walnut TM
Salad in Canada and the US. The salads sold in Canada are
made with fresh cut Ontario Empire apple slices, Granny Smith
apple slices, grapes and walnuts. It is served with a yoghurt
dip. The sliced apples are processed in a joint venture with
Pride Pak and Ontario Apple Slice Group. McDonald's already
carries a snack sized bag of apple slices (made with all Ontario
apples) supplied by the same company. McDonald's is supporting
it's new salad with radio, tv and print ads.
>>BACK TO TOP
Crop Protection
Materials
Guthion to be Phased Out - Included
with this newsletter is an update on Guthion and critical
changes for the use of Guthion.
Thiram - The US
is proposing a revocation of the organic fungicide Thiram
for the use on apples in the US. In Canada, thiram
is registered for use on apples. In Ontario, thiram use as
a fungicide on apple is limited. The most important use of
thiram on all tree fruit is as a repellent for voles, mice
and rabbits. An example of a commercial formulation is Skoot,
manufactured by Plant Products Company. The product can be
brushed on the trucks of trees in late fall and early winter,
or mixed with exterior white latex paint and painted on tree
trunks, and lower scaffolds of younger trees. The paint provides
additional southwest injury protection and may allow the thiram
active to last longer. Rodents and rabbits find thiram distasteful
and will avoid chewing on tree trunks treated with the product.
The use of thiram as a repellent works best in conjunction
with good orchard ground sanitation practices (i.e. keep grass
short, herbicide strips clean). An alternative is the use
of metal tree guards but initial material cost is expensive
although more permanent.
Envidor - A new
miticide product "Envidor" (active ingredient: spirodiclofen,
manufactured by Bayer is now available (supplier Bartlett).
This is the second new miticide available for tree fruit and
grapes. The first was Acramite. Envidor is new chemistry is
now registered for use in Canada on stone fruit (with the
exception of plums), grapes and pome fruit. Tests have shown
this to be a very effective alternative to Pyramite as a summer
miticide. With these new products, growers should now be able
to develop a resistance management alternation program with
their miticides. Check with your dealer for label recommendations,
crops, rates and prices. For further information or questions
call Bayer - Greig Zamecnik (519)767-3884. >>BACK TO TOP
Publication 360
The Publication 360 supplement is available on the
OMAF website at: www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english.crops/pub260/sup/360S_2005.pdf
This supplement has been updated to include acramite (which
received registration after the first supplement was printed). >>BACK TO TOP
Integrated Fruit
Production On-Farm Demonstration Sites
There will be a summer tour of the demonstration
sites on June 23 rd . Please see the attached information
sheet for more details.
>>BACK TO TOP
Research Update
In the last newsletter, I included an
article on research projects which had been approved by the
OAG. One of the projects indicated that a project had been
approved for "U of G - Apple (John Cline) (3 years) - $289,465".
This was a project application which had been submitted to
the Agricultural Adaptation Council for funding. The OAG contribution
to the project was for $30,000. Unfortunately, this application
was not approved. We are working with John Cline to determine
what our next steps should be. >>BACK TO TOP
Apples High
in Antioxidants
Globe and Mail article - May 24, 2005 - The article
reports on a study by AAFC indicating that apples are high
in antioxidants. Of the eight main varieties of apples grown
in Ontario and used in the research project, the Red Delicious
had the highest level of antioxidants. Antioxidants are the
compounds that are know to fight with the so-called free radicals
in our body. The apples included in the study were Red Delicious,
Ida Red, Cortland, Northern Spy, Golden Delicious, Crispin,
McIntosh and Empire.
Although these are generally positive results
they can be misleading as they only show the results from
apples from one farm near Woodstock, in a year with less than
adequate sunlight to give proper maturity. It would have been
more useful to report that all apples are high in antioxidants.
As an apple industry we do not want to promote one variety
over another.>>BACK TO TOP
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