Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Saturday

March 31, 2012

Figures show health of state's fruit crops

FROM STAFF REPORTS ----

TRAVERSE CITY — Final fruit production numbers are in for Michigan in 2011.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's state field office this month released fruit production totals for last year. Michigan's tart cherry production came in at 157.5 million pounds, up 17 percent from the 135 million pound harvest in 2010. The average tart cherry yield was 5,940 pounds per acre, and the preliminary farm level value reached $47.2 million.

Sweet cherry production totaled 72 million pounds. Growers harvested 18,700 acres and the farm level value totaled $118.7 million.

The state's grape production totaled 94,000 tons, which included 55,100 tons of Concord grapes and 31,000 tons of Niagara grapes. The estimated farm value was $33.6 million, and bearing acres totaled 14,200.

Cultivated blueberry production came in at 72 million pounds, about 17 percent of the U.S. total. Growers harvested 18,700 acres and the estimated farm level value was $118.7 million. Strawberry production reached 3.3 million pounds on 750 harvested acres, with an estimated farm level value of $4.8 million.

Peach production totaled 35.2 million pounds, a 20 percent increase from 2010. Bearing acres totaled 3,900 with a farm level value of $12.9 million. Pear production was 4,400 tons on 700 acres with an estimated value of $1.2 million. Plums totaled 1,400 tons on 400 acres worth an estimated $900,000.

The USDA will release 2011 apple production figures in early July.

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