Business & Tech
Oregon Hazelnuts Almost Hit Record Yield, Still Miss Expectations
Just about three months ago, the USDA predicted a record hazelnut yield. While it's a record, a report says it's below what was expected.
PORTLAND, OR – When is a near-record high still a disappointment? When it still falls below what had been expected.
That's what hazelnut growers in Oregon are experiencing right now.
It wasn't even three months ago when the United States Department of Agriculture had predicted a record-high yield for this year.
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The USDA had predicted a yield of 52,000 tons – well above the previous record of 49,500 that was set in 2001.
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While a new report says that this year's harvest is well above last year's yield of 32,000 tons, it will be still be several tons below what had been expected.
A report in the Capitol Press, the weekly newspaper covering the agriculture industry in the west says that the yield will only be between 46,000 and 48,000 tons.
The paper quotes officials saying that they had been overly optimistic about the yields of a new variety of nut called Jefferson.
Photo via Oregon Hazelnuts.
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