Agricultural and Food Policy
 Agri Outlook
Radio
Number 127
Policy: USDA’s 2007 Arkansas Fruit, Nut, and Vegetable Highlights (2:54 minutes)
Audio/Video Script:
Dr. Bobby Coats
Extension Economist
University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture
USDA’s 2007 Arkansas Fruit Nut and Vegetable Highlights
Report Shows a Difficult Crop Year for Most Fruit and Vegetable Growers
- I’m Bobby Coats Extension Economist University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture.
2007 Arkansas Fruit, Nut, and Vegetable
Highlights
NASS in their 2007 Arkansas Fruit, Nut, and Vegetable Highlights report says,
"The 2007 crop year was a very difficult one for many of the fruit and vegetable
growers in Arkansas. Above normal temperatures during the late part of winter
and the early part of the spring were followed by a freeze during the Easter
weekend after many producers had vegetables planted and fruit trees had bloomed.
Nearly all areas of the state were affected by this freeze."
2007 utilized production of blueberries was 70,000 pounds or 4.4% of 2006’s
1.6 million pounds.
2007 utilized production of grapes was 500 tons or 23% of 2006’s 2,200 tons.
The grape yield for 2007 was cut by 80 percent from 2006 to 0.67 ton per acre,
which was down from 2006’s 3.29 tons per acre.
2007 utilized production of peaches was only 10 tons, down drastically from
2006’s 3,840 tons
2007 utilized production of pecans is forecast at 2.3 million pounds in 2007,
up 100,000 pounds from the 2006 crop. NASS estimates the average price per pound
is forecast at $0.93, down from the $1.24 per pound from 2006.
2007 utilized production of tomatoes was 149,000 cwt, down 51% from 2006’s
306,000 cwt. Area of tomatoes harvested for 2007 was 1,100 acres, down 100 acres
from last year, with the total value of the crop at $6.71 million.
2007 utilized production of watermelons was 418,000 cwt, up 48,000 cwt from
2006. The season average price was $10.50 per cwt, up $1.20 from 2006.
This has been Bobby Coats Extension Economist University of Arkansas Division
of Agriculture.
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