Central Valley Farmers Cannot Commit to Planting
Garlic or Onions
By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor
 |
| Bob Ehn |
Bob Ehn, CEO and Technical
Manager for the Clovis-based California Garlic and Onion Research Advisor
Board, noted that the 2013-2014 season is shaping up to be a major production
challenge.
“As expected, growers on the
West Side are not committing to planting garlic or onions this winter, and
processors and handlers are scrambling trying to find growers who can contract
with them on land not effected by a possible zero Federal water allocation,”
said Ehn.
“We traditionally plant
between 18,000 and 20,000 acres of garlic in the central valley usually in
Fresno, Kings with a smaller amount of acreage in Kern,” said Ehn.
“Processed onions are planted
on 25,000 acres in a wider geographic area from Parker, Arizona all the to Tule
Lake in Northern California. Again, most of that crop is grown in the central
valley,” Ehn noted.
“The industry is having to
expand the growing areas outside the usual acreage in Fresno and Kings county,”
said Ehn. “Those processors need growers.”
“It’s going to be a real
tough year,” said Ehn. He noted that he has heard that
many of the vegetable
operations in the Salinas valley are having a very difficult time finding
growers willing to plant winter crops in the central valley.
Labels: Bob Ehn, California Garlic and Onion Research Advisory Board, Central Valley Farmers Cannot Commit to Planting Garlic or Onions, Garlic and Onions will not be planted in Federal Water Districts
