Fruit Growers Upbeat About 2016 [Opinion]

davd_eddy2014WebOur first annual state of the industry survey turned out to be a roaring success. More than 500 of you growers responded, and frankly, I would have been happy with half that number. And that’s not even counting the 200-plus people allied with the industry — such as researchers and suppliers — who responded. I can’t thank you enough.

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I’ll get to the details in a minute, but first I think it’s worth taking a look at the forest before venturing in to look at the trees. The fact that so many of you took the time to fill out the survey in the first place indicates how much you care about the industry. Especially when you consider both human nature and how it’s reflected on the Internet.

First, I can tell you on pretty good authority after a few decades in the media that in the main, people respond more often with complaints than plaudits. It’s just the way it goes. If you still read newspapers as I do — old habits die hard — you see the majority of letters to the editor are complaints of some kind, not attaboys.

Such negativity is even more pronounced on the Internet. There’s something about being able to post comments anonymously that brings out the worst in certain people. The phenomenon has unfortunately become so commonplace, there’s even a name for such people — trolls.

It’s gotten to the point that I rarely read the comments on a piece posted on the Internet, and I never read them if it’s a feel-good story, because the snide comments often leave me feeling that it’s too bad such people are walking the earth.

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What a breath of fresh air it was then to see the responses to our surveys, which of course were filled out via the Internet. Nothing snide there, just honest feedback on an industry that clearly represents more to you than just a means to make a living. I wouldn’t go so far to say it’s a calling, but saying it’s a job doesn’t do it justice.

It’s not like all the comments were positive. They wouldn’t have been honest if they were. Water woes are common in the West, as are cold temperatures in East (not withstanding this odd recent warm late fall/early winter) but overall, optimism remains high.

How else to explain growers’ planting plans for the coming year? In every crop category, decidedly more growers will be planting more in 2016 than scaling back. (For the hard numbers, check out the State of the Industry Report.)

In fact, there was only one crop category, citrus, in which more than one in 10 growers said there they were going to decrease production in the coming year. But that’s understandable, given concerns about Huanglongbing, or citrus greening. Still, more citrus growers are increasing production this year than are decreasing.

You who took the survey are in no way taking a Pollyanna view. The fact is our industry puts out products that are not only natural and nutritious, but every year get increasingly flavorful. Here’s to a Happy New Year. ●

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