|
| This is a new crop for us to raise, but it is an old crop for the area. I'll do the best I can to get some answers, but I am sort of new to this one so I may have to ask someone else before I can answer.
Ok, if you have good size and quality fruit, like most first year stuff, it can be hand picked for IQF (individually quick frozen) quality fruit. That's something a grower usually tries to shoot for. It has a premium price, and its well worht it if you can get it.
Yields of course are all over the map. 2006 we saw a hot windy low humidity spell come through our area at the wrong time as the fruit was setting. However, ours being first year plants, seemed to fair the heat a little better than expected. We came close to 2 ton/acre. That's probably not far off of average for the area, but some could make about 4 ton/acre on those unusual years. It can also completely suck if the rains hit when the fruit is ripe and you did'nt spray the better fungicides. Mold will set in over night and the whole crop at that point is junk and will be dumped.:-(
Price, also is unreal in its highs and lows. Right now it is at allmost all time highs and can bring over $2.00/lb. Sometimes quite a ways over. Then, it can cycle to the lows and go to .25cents/lb. With hand picking labor approaching the .50cents/lb mark,.......well, you know what happens then. Even the machine picking price is getting close to the hand price. The price of new machine and the maintainence that goes with it is like buying a new combine for 100 acres.
We are a 30 acre grower. Thats not too far off from average I'd say, but there are a few growers that are large enough to allmost control the price by themselves. Like 400 acres size. No thanks, thats too many eggs in one basket.
| |
|
Welcome to the jungle. (follow up pics)
