California Cling Peach Industry Update and Review of Our Mechanization Initiative

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1 California Cling Peach Industry Update and Review of Our Mechanization Initiative National Peach Council Meeting Thursday, February 2, 2012 Hershey, Pennsylvania

2 California Canning Peach Association Cooperative Marketing and Bargaining Organization Founded in 1922 Oldest Bargaining Cooperative in the Nation. Owned by nearly 500 grower members representing approximately 80% of California s cling peach growers. Objective: Enhance grower returns and seek to maintain industry profitability. Our role is not limited to raw product pricing.

3 Our peaches are picked at the peak of ripeness and generally packed within 24 hours of picking. The California peach industry consists of many generations-old family farms. Our average farmer grows 50 acres of peaches.

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5 Consolidating U. S. Processed Peach Industry in California CANNERS CANNERS CANNERS 2 FREEZERS

6 California Canning Peach Association 2011 Peach Processors Canners Del Monte Foods Seneca Foods Pacific Coast Producers Freezers Dole Packaged Foods Wawona Frozen Foods

7 California Cling Peach Bearing Acreage Trends Thousands of Acres Proj. 23.1

8 Cling Peach Acres Pulled vs. Acres Planted ,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 Acres 3,912 4,526 3,000 2,500 2,372 2,463 2,000 1,500 1, , ,479 1,291 1,650 1, / / / / / /10 Acres Pulled Acres Planted Total Acres Pulled: 15,848 Total Acres Planted: 7,053

9 Cling Peach Delivery Trends Total Tons to All Processors Thousands of Tons Deliveries Down 9% from Last Year

10 California Cling Peach Industry Average Yield Trends Year Yield/Acre Year Avg. Yield: 17.2

11 California Cling Peach Price Trends Price /Ton $340 $320 $321 $318 $300 $280 $276 $286 $286 $287 $291 $260 $240 $233 $237 $235 $237 $239* $237* $220 $200 $180 $ *Average Value Ton Converted to Same Basis as

12 Labor Concerns Availability Timing Quality & Productivity Impact of Stepped Up Immigration Enforcement Uncertainty Regarding Future U.S. Immigration Law Reform How do we harvest our fruit without access to a sufficient labor force?

13 U.S. Canned Peach Import Trends ,800 4,400 4,000 3,600 3,200 2,800 2,400 2,000 1,600 1, Thousands of Cases 4,118 4,217 3,334 3,065 3,099 3,102 2,345 2,410 2,369 1,763 1,815 1,235 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11

14 U. S. Canned Peach Imports Marketing Year All Other 159,093 Cases 5% Greece 687,664 Cases 21% Chile 124,937 Cases 4% China 2,279,605 Cases 68% South Africa 83,123 Cases 2% Marketing Year Total: 3,334,442 Cases (+ 7%)

15 Canned and frozen fruits not only offer great nutrition, but they are inexpensive and convenient ways to make sure that we maximize the variety and number of fruit servings needed to protect our health. -- American Institute for Cancer Research Summary Canned fruit offers great nutrition and is less expensive on a cost per serving basis than fresh fruit. Shelf stable canned fruit is available year-round and arrives ready-to-eat and packaged in appropriate portion sizes. Several university studies confirm that canned fruit is nutritionally comparable to fresh fruit. Canned, Frozen, Dried, and Fresh It s All Good!

16 Canning Peach Mechanization Research Fund As part of our agreement with processors to jointly fund peach mechanization research, CCPA formed a new entity called the Canned Peach Mechanization Research Fund in Growers and processors have completed the third year of our three year agreement to jointly contribute 50 /ton to fund the organization s activities. The organization s activities involve the joint funding of research work and demonstration projects aimed at reducing the labor cost for growing and harvesting cling peaches.

17 Canning Peach Mechanization Efforts Underway Varietal Research - Long Keeper Varieties (One Pick) - Size Controlling Rootstock Mechanical Thinning - Blossom Thinning (Darwin) - Green Fruit Thinning - Hand Held Thinners Vacuum Assisted Fruit Harvesting - Oxbo/Picker Tech Unit - DBR Unit Participation in SCRI Projects - Fruit Thinning - Harvest Technologies

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19 Blossom String Thinner Trials

20 Oxbo/Picker Tech Fruit Harvester Trials

21 2011 DISTRICT MEETING SCHEDULE DISTRICT DATE & TIME LOCATIONS 1 & 2 9:30 a.m. Moose Lodge Weds., November 9 Gridley 3, 4 & 5 2:00 p.m. Ag Commissioner's Office Weds., November 9 Yuba City 10 & 11 2:30 p.m. Kearney Ag Center Tues., November 15 Parlier 9 9:30 a.m. JACL Hall Weds., November 16 Cortez 6, 7 & 8 2:30 p.m. Stanislaus County Ag Center Weds., November 16 Modesto

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25 A Home and A Price Representing California Growers Since 1922