because of a growing season that was short and wet, prospects for the upcoming year are quite good.
by Linda McCandless
Syracuse, NY - Growers, processors, researchers, manufacturing representatives and consultants flocked to Salt City to attend the 1997 NYS Vegetable Conference, Feb. 11-13. Although 1996 is generally considered to have been a difficult year in New York because of a growing season that was short and wet, prospects for the upcoming year are quite good.
"New York is fourth in the nation in overall vegetable production," said Larry Eckhardt, President of the NYS Vegetable Growers Association, Inc., that helped organize the conference. "The USDA's 'Five a Day' program has increased consumer consumption of fruit and vegetables, and New York growers are well positioned to take advantage of major markets in the Northeast."
The vegetable industry in New York contributes over $272 million to the economy of New York State, including $173 million from fresh market vegetables, $37 million from processing vegetables, and $61 million from potatoes.
The 10 most valued commodities in New York, in order, are: potatoes, cabbage, onions, fresh sweet corn, processed sweet corn, processed snap beans, processed green peas, fresh snap beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
Eckhardt was quick to point out the major issues facing New York State growers. "Producers will be faced with increased costs directly attributable to pesticide registry legislation that was passed in 1996," he said, "and the Canadians are killing us."
It is more difficult for New York growers to access Canadian markets than it is for Canadian growers - who are more heavily subsized by their government - to access U. S. markets. Producers are also anxious about how new developments between the two major buyers of NYS vegetables, Seneca Foods and Comstock Michigan Fruit, might affect demand, prices, and variety trials. The downsizing of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets that has occurred in the last five years has negatively affected the availability of timely price and data information.
On the positive side, Eckhardt pointed out the the NYS Vegetable Growers Association has initiated a voluntary Fresh Market Research Fund for which $8,000 has been committed for the 1997 season. Another $3,000 in pledges is outstanding and will probably be applied to research during the 1998 season. Potato producers and fresh market cabbage producers are considering enactment of respective state-based marketing orders that would increase much-needed support for research on those commodities.
Another bright spot is the recent marketing of IPM-grown vegetables by Wegman's, which represents a cooperative effort between the large supermarket chain and Cornell University's Integrated Pest Management Program. Public identification of and demand for IPM grown vegetables is being closely watched by the industry, as it could mean changes in production practices for more and more NYS vegetable producers.
At the conference, there were educational sessions on each major NYS commodity, as well as sessions on labor regulations, crop recordkeeping and enterprise analysis, soil quality, pesticides and health issues, leafy greens, and electronic online services. [See Researchers Make Recommendations to Growers at NYS Veg Conference.]
A trade show at which more than 80 manufacturers and services were represented was well attended.
Hugh Price, Chairman of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, exhorted cabbage producers to sign a petition that would encourage Ag & Markets to start the process for a referendum for a marketing order on cabbage. "There are over 300 cabbage growers in the state, and Ag & Markets needs to see that 25% of those growers ask for a vote," he said. The marketing order would establish a research fund based on an assessment of not more than $4 per acre of cabbage. This could generate $64,000 for research, which would represent a five-fold increase in that which is currently available. Fresh market and kraut cabbage is a $60 million industry in New York.
Daryl Lund, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was the featured speaker at the conference social on Tuesday evening. He stressed the importance of enhancing the partnership between the public and private sector, and encouraged industry support for resesarch. "This is the third consecutive year of reduced funding from Albany," said Lund. "We have gone to the governor with the Geneva Plan, to increase funding for the Experiment Station in Geneva, and we need to be able to prove to Albany that industry supports research at Geneva."
At the social, Dean Lund and Jim Tette made the second annual "Excellence in IPM" awards, given to individuals and organizations that have strongly supported the statewide IPM effort either through adoption or promotion of IPM techniques and principles. [See New York State IPM Program Confers "Excellence in IPM Awards".]
(To access 322dpi scans, click on above photographs.)
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