Oct 16, 2014

USDA funds tree fruit survey

USDA recently announced that, through authorizations of the 2014 Farm Bill, it would invest nearly $118 million to support U.S. specialty crop producers. Following that announcement, Gov. Rick Snyder, along with Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Jamie Clover Adams, announced that Michigan will receive $1.9 million from USDA to create, enhance and expand the specialty crop industry across the state.

The grants are used to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan specialty crops through processors, agribusinesses, producers, local units of government and legislatively authorized commodity boards, according to Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB).

MFB received $145,000, the funding necessary for USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to facilitate the 2015 Tree Fruit Inventory Survey. The primary goal of the survey is to gain up-to-date information in order to make sound marketing plans, planting decisions and assess the overall landscape of the fruit industry in Michigan.

“The tree fruit survey was last carried out in 2011,” said Kevin Robson, associate horticulture specialist with MFB. “It’s a much-needed survey, in terms of keeping specialty crop producers in Michigan competitive, nationally and globally. Also, education, research and promotional directions are often steered by the results of this type of survey. Additionally, the industry has been calling for it. After the damage we saw from the 2012 winter freezes, the fruit-growing arena has changed. The timing of the grant was fortuitous, too, since the fruit growers and processors were prepared to go ahead and seek alternate funding to guarantee the facilitation of the survey if this USDA money hadn’t come through.”

The survey is set to be mailed in early January.

“That’s the best time to do it, mainly because fruit farmers will be able to allocate ample time to fill it out in its entirety,” Robson said.

The survey results will be completely confidential and published in an aggregate format, Robson said.