By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan farmers produced less fruit in 2008 than in 2007, according to a report recently published by the Michigan Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Vince Matthews, deputy director of the Michigan office, said yields largely were impacted by weather events in the state throughout the 2008 growing season. “The mix of all different conditions throughout the spring and summer affected some fruits and vegetables in different ways,” he said.

According the report, Michigan apple production was 560 million pounds in 2008, down from 770 million in 2007.

The preliminary farm level value of the utilized crop was $121 million. Michigan ranked third in U.S. apple production, behind Washington state and New York.

With a preliminary farm level value of $65 million, the state’s tart cherry production was 165 million pounds, down 16 percent from the 196 million produced in 2007. The average yield was 6,370 pounds per acre. Sweet cherry production was 26,500 tons, down from 27,300 tons produced in 2007; the average yield was 3.68 tons per acre. The preliminary farm level value was $15 million.

“In general, fruit was hurt by frosts in April and May and there was some hail in July that affected some of the fruit crops,” Matthews said. “Both sweet and tart cherries were hurt by some of the cool weather around pollination time and the late spring frosts.”

Blueberries offered a bright spot for the state. “In blueberries some of the later, dry weather in the summer sort of slowed down and hindered the harvest, but we ended up with a record high yield for blueberries,” he said.

Cultivated blueberry production was 110 million pounds, approximately 32 percent of the U.S. total. Growers harvested 18,600 acres in 2008 with a farm level value of $124 million.

Michigan’s peach and pear crops didn’t fare so well. Peach production was 28 million pounds, down from 41 million in 2007. Total bearing acres were 4,300, and the farm level value was $9 million. Pear production was 2,850 tons on 800 acres, and the farm level value was $1 million.

Late spring frosts and dry weather in the growing season were factors in the decline of Michigan’s peaches and pears.
“Peaches and pears were set back by frost in the spring, and also the dry weather through harvest reduced some of the sizing,” Matthews said. Grapes also took a hit because of the weather. Production weighed in at 73,700 tons, with a farm level value of $27 million.

“The spring freezes affect grapes adversely, too,” he said. “That cold weather sort of delayed the whole development all the way through the season, too.”

In other fruit-growing news, Michigan plum production at 2,300 tons on 650 acres, with a farm value of $821,000.