Almonds Beat Out Peanuts As US Favorite Nut
America’s love affair with almonds is paying off for Valley growers. USDA says almonds now surpass peanuts as the country’s favorite nut with a perception change on the health of the nut. With less meat consumption almonds are now a popular alternative as a protein source with less worry about its fat content says a University of Michigan study. Domestic consumption of almonds is up 220% since 2005. Meanwhile, US exports are are double this year what they were in the 2009/10 marketing year. One market that may go away for a while is Russia with the trade dispute with the US supplying 92% of almonds to that country. While California growers can find other customers the Russian consumer appears to be the losers. USDA expects a California crop of of 2.1 billion pounds this fall,a 4.5% increase from last year.
Dwarf Trees Cut Labor Cost
UC says shorter peach and nectarine trees can reduce labor costs without sacrificing fruit quality and yield with a 4-acre experiment at Kearny Field Station in Parlier. “We’re designing ‘ladderless’ orchards, which have the potential to cut labor costs by 50 percent or more and improve worker safety,” says UC Cooperative Extension specialist Ted DeJong, a plant physiology professor at UC Davis. Mr. DeJong and Kevin Day, a Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Tulare County, are leading the trials.
Corn Heads Lower
Corn futures price fell this week to $3.64 for December futures, the lowest in years. That’s good news for both ethanol makers and livestock owners.
Kings Milk Rebounds
June milk production shows a rebound in volume from Kings County year over year – up 3.2% .Tulare County was up 1.2%