The Fruit Growers News


Growers have voted to disband the Oregon Processed Prune and Plum Commission, ending 36 years of operation as a state agricultural commodity commission. The decision comes as growers face the smallest markets for their products in the past decade.
The decision to disband also reflects a drop in grower-supported funding consistent with the decline in production within Oregon’s prune industry, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

The referendum counted 29 ballots from plum growers who voted to end the commission, representing 77% of the Oregon’s plum production. Only one grower voted to continue the commission. Historically, Oregon was one of the country’s largest producers of processed plums and prunes. But that was before the industry’s processors vanished form the scene. Today, Willamette Valley has approximately 45 plum growers, said Jeff Olsen. Olsen is the Oregon State University (OSU) Extension agent serving commercial orchard crop growers for the three counties in the Willamette Valley. “Certainly one of the problems for growers was that the reduced price and profitability had come to reduce the number of people involved in processing the prunes,” said Olsen. “The biggest change had been the dissolution of the Oregon Fruit Exchange in Forest Grove. When they went out of business it had a huge impact on the number of tons of prunes that could be processed.” For the past several years, the size of the crop that could be produced was larger than the crop that was bought, he said. The growers could produce more than they could sell. Since the commission’s revenue is based on the crop sold, their revenues dropped, compounding the problem. Since the Oregon Fruit Exchange left the scene some 10 years ago, Northwest Packing has been the largest plum processor. Today most processors regulate how much they accept with sales projections. “There are a few other people who have their own drying operation. They take all that they grow and take a little bit more from other people. “The rest just goes to waste,” said Olsen. “In some years, the production has been as much 20,000 tons while processors bought only 6,000 tons.” It has all been impacted by what can be sold. Acreage of plums in the state has consistently declined over a number of years. The commission’s efforts were based on a $1.50 per ton fee - as the acreage declined, the amount of crop sold declined so the revenue that the commission had to work also declined, said Olsen. The commission was to send any remaining funds after outstanding bills are paid to OSU’s Agricultural Research Foundation to be used for plum and prune research. Plum growers across the country have faced the loss of processors for their product, according to Perry DeKryger, executive director of Michigan’s Plum Advisory Board. Like Oregon, Michigan’s producers supply plums primarily for processing. “Growers in Michigan have been plagued with a lack of consistent markets that pay an adequate return,” said DeKryger. But the industry may find a bright spot in plums that can be grown for fresh markets, he said.
“The bright spot in the industry is that we have three or four new varieties that have been tested by a couple of processors that have good acceptability for their process needs,” said DeKryger. “While they were selected and bred for processing, they make a fresh plum superior to Stanley.” “These are varieties that could go either way if needed; they are freestone plums and they do not have the pit fragment problem that Stanley has; they are definitely promising,” he said.
Those three leading new varieties are New York 6, New York 9 and Castleton, according to DeKryger. The plums are very acceptable fresh market plums and the processors tests show that they can meet their needs, as well, said DeKryger. But growers could have a hard time finding stock to sell, though. Right now, there is a limited amount of stock available. “The nurseries have stock to propagate, but they are reluctant to begin the process until they know that the demand is there,” said DeKryger. “Which goes back to the fact that there hasn’t been any long-term money made in the plum business,” he said. “Producers are pulling acres out faster than they are putting acres in.” Oregon growers who continue to have questions regarding prune and plum production are advised to contact Olsen in Yamhill County at (503) 434-8915. Growers with questions about the commission can contact Sue Hiller at ODA at (503) 872-6600. Michigan growers can contact Mira Danilovich, Oceana County Extension agent, (231) 873-2129, bulatovi@ msue.msu.edu.