|
|
Late spring freeze wiped out peach crop in ArkansasLITTLE ROCK (AP)--The late-spring hard freeze over Easter weekend in Arkansas did some of its greatest damage in the state's peach orchards. After harvesting 4,200 tons of peaches last year, the state's orchards are expected to produce just 100 tons of the fruit this year, according to an estimate by the federal Agriculture Department's National Agricultural Statistics Service. If that projection is accurate, it will be the smallest Arkansas peach crop since 1955--when a similar late-spring freeze hit the state--and a drop of nearly 98 percent from last year's harvest. "It's never hit us this hard," said Sylvia Reddin, who with her husband operates Suzanne's Fruit Farm near Hampton in Calhoun County. "You might find 1 in about 20 trees that would have a live peach on it--but it's not quality fruit." The state endured three straight nights of 25-degree cold April 6 to 8. Rocky Friend, whose family operates a large commercial orchard near Zinc in Boone County, said the effects were almost immediate. Within two days, the tiny fruit on the trees turned black, and within a week they had all fallen to the ground. "It's our second complete crop failure since 1996," Friend said. Friend Orchards has about 25,000 peach trees on its 140 acres, and Friend said the family plans to plant more, despite this year's disaster. "We had 10 big crops in a row from 1997 through 2006," he said. Last year, Friend Orchards produced 125,000 cases of peaches, worth about $2.1 million. The crop was sold mostly to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Associated Wholesale Grocers, Friend said. With a reputation of "providing a good product at a fair price," Friend said he's confident that the buyers will be back next year. Date: 8/2/07
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
