03/22/06 Fruit Budget Approved

Fruit Commission Budget approved. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. The Washington State Fruit Commission has approved a $5 million budget for the coming year and is slightly under the $5.8 million budget in 2005. According to B.J. Thurlby, president of the Yakima-based Washington State Fruit Commission, "It's a conservative budget that will be adjusted as crops come in." The lower budget figure is attributed to pear assessments that will no longer be channeled through the fruit commission. Instead, pear assessments are now collected directly by pear industry groups, under a reorganized federal marketing order approved last year. 2006 expenses are projected at just under $4.9 million, down from just under $5.8 million last year. The commission budgeted $465,000 for operations and salaries and have about $2 million in cash reserves. The fruit commission has budgeted slightly more than $1.4 million for domestic promotions and more than $1.6 million for foreign promotions. On the revenue side, the fruit commission budget includes $2.6 million in grower assessments and $976,000 in federal and state grants. The Washington State Fruit Commission is a non-profit organization that provides grower education, research, and promotional support of stone fruit across the United States and foreign countries. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.