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2007 California Prune Crop Estimate

Sacramento, CA, June 1, 2007 - The California Agricultural Statistics Service announced a 2007 dried plum crop estimate of 95,000 tons. This estimate would represent a 49% drop from the 2006 California crop reported by handlers to total 187,737 tons and would be 29% below the previous five year average of 134,535 tons. This will be the 3rd year in the last four years that unseasonably hot weather during the March bloom period will have resulted in a significantly below average crop.

While the July 31, 2007 year-end inventory carryover is expected to be significantly larger than last year’s 22,140 tons, much of the carryover is likely to be in the smaller sizes. This combined with another small crop in 2007 will result in an inadequate supply of the prime pitting sizes.

In summary, a California crop of only 95,000 tons in 2007 will leave inventory shortages despite the larger 2006 carryover, and shipments are likely to remain below 135,000 processed condition tons.