Last year was a tough one for the California stonefruit industry, according to Gordon Smith, who was promoted to director of marketing at the California Tree Fruit Agreement at the end of 2008.
He is now responsible for the industry’s domestic and international marketing programmes.
Peach, plum and nectarine growers suffered serious issues on the domestic market last year, said Smith, and each grower is now taking stock following a season of poor returns.
The peak shipping period for Californian stonefruit to the UK is generally September 1 onwards, said Smith. Shipments were down last year, but the industry is still looking to the UK as a vital export market.
“The consensus is that it will be a tough 2009,” Smith told freshinfo. “We won’t have a production forecast for this season until April, but based on chilling hours so far we are on for an average crop. We are hoping for more rainfall, but there are still several months to go.”
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