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TRENDS OF MICHIGAN TREE FRUIT INDUSTRY 



Jerome Hull, Jr. 

 Department of Horticulture 

 Michigan State University 

 Part I. 



Composition of the Industry 



Michigan's fruit industry includes about 66,000 acres (A) of 

 apple, 41,000 A tart cherry, 13,600 A sweet cherry, 18,000 A peach, 

 8,000 A plum and 6,500 A pear. Pear acreage has declined rapidly 

 because of pear psylla and fireblight control problems, low yields, 

 and declining markets. Peach acreage has also decreased because 

 of winter injury, 'valsa canker, X-disease, lack of satisfactory 

 chemical fruit thinning compounds, and need for seasonal labor for 

 pruning and multiple selective harvesting. The future of the sweet 

 cherry industry is uncertain. About two-thirds of the crop is 

 brined for maraschino cherries and the future of this market depends 

 on development of a satisfactory alternative to the dye that was 

 recently banned for artificially coloring maraschino cherries. 

 Many Michigan orchardists grow small acreages of plums because they 

 are relatively easy to produce and can be readily machine-harvested 

 with cherry harvesting equipment. About two-thirds of the crop is 

 processed. 



Michigan produces two-thirds of the nation's sour cherry crop 

 and this crop continues to increase in importance. Several major 

 changes in this industry offer it an optimistic future. The crop 

 is mechanically harvested, eliminating a major harvest labor con- 

 cern. Expanded grower processing provides the producer increased 

 control over the marketing of his product. The industry has mar- 

 keting legislation to provide for diversion or "set-aside" in sur- 

 plus years for market stability, and has a promotion program to 

 encourage market expansion. The industry has some production and 

 marketing problems but appears to have a very stable future in 

 Michigan. 



With 66,000 A, apples are the largest tree fruit crop in 

 Michigan. In the most recent tree survey C1973), the 5 leading 

 varieties were Delicious (24%), Jonathan (22%), Mcintosh (111), 

 Golden Delicious (101) and Northern Spy (81). About 801 of the 

 state's apple acreage was on seedling rootstocks and 20% on size- 

 control rootstocks. Approximately 14% of the acreage was planted 

 between 1968-1972 and two-thirds of these trees were on size-control 

 rootstocks. 



■'■Presented at the Annual Summer Meeting of the Massachusetts Fruit 

 Growers' Association on July 13, 1977. 



