DEGLET NOOR DATE HARVEST TO START MID-OCTOBER

High Quality, Lesser Yield Expected Than 2006

 INDIO, CA. --   (September 24, 2007) California’s commercial Deglet Noor date crop harvest is expected to begin in full swing mid-October and continue through December throughout the Coachella Valley, according to Lorrie Cooper, manager for the California Date Administrative Committee (CDAC).

            “The crop is looking good and quality is in good shape,” said Cooper. “The harvesting of Medjools is currently underway and the Deglet variety in particular is expected to begin mid-October. So far, the weather has not affected the crop adversely. The hurricane down along the Baja tip recently never reached the valley but was pushed toward Arizona, so late summer rain did not become a factor.”

            More than 4,000 acres of date gardens located primarily in Thermal, Coachella, Mecca and surrounding areas are showing a high quality crop this fall with a slightly less yield expected this year.  Deglet Noor ripening is expected to peak in early October. With hot weather conditions during the summer, and the continuing dry temperatures expected through September will make optimum conditions for harvest starting in the fall.

            “The Deglet harvest is on schedule to begin in early to mid October this year with another high quality crop expected, barring any weather factors over the next few weeks,” said Albert Keck, chairman of the CDAC and owner of Hadley Date Gardens. “A higher percentage of US No. 1 Grade used for whole date and retail sales as well as the USDA food nutrition programs is anticipated in this year’s crop.”    

            The overall volume this year as compared to industry averages between 22 to 45 million pounds over the last decade, is expected to be smaller in quantity than last year’s production of 49,000,000 million pounds, according to Cooper.

            Cooper noted that recent overall production totals is difficult to gauge as many older, less productive trees are continually being pulled for landscape use and newly planted acreages have not reached their capacity to be fully producing crops.

            “Date trees, like all other crops, experience cycles of abundance depending on the weather conditions and age of the trees.  Some of the newer orchards are not yet of fruit bearing condition,” said Cooper.

 

More About California Dates

            Harvesting dates is labor intensive.  Specially trained “palmeros” either climb or are hoisted by platforms up into the crest of the date palms to cut off the heavy, date laden stalks, which are lowered to field workers below.  Dates are shaken off the branches into large bins, and taken to the packing house where they are cleaned, hand sorted and packaged or processed, according to the size and quality of the date.

            Dates commercially grown in the Coachella Valley include the Deglet Noor, the most common variety for whole and pitted dates; the Halawy, a sweet, tender date; the Khadrawy, a soft, caramel like fruit; the Zahidi, an oval shaped date with dry, firm flesh; and the Medjool, a large, dark, richly flavored date.  

            Dates are part of the White food group in the 5-A-Day nutrition color chart.  White food groups promote heart health.  Dates are virtually fat, cholesterol and sodium free.

            Recent research at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, suggests that dates and dried fruit should be a greater part of the diet as they are dense in phenol anti-oxidants and nutrition, most notably fiber.

            Date also provide calcium, iron and phosphorous as well as important B vitamins.  A medium sized California date contains only 24 calories, and provide 250% more potassium per weight than bananas.

Date crop statistics from the Riverside County Department of Agriculture:

Crop Year                      Production Volume                     Dollars

2000 – 2001                  28,336,000 pounds                     $37,361,000

2001 – 2002                  28,484,000 pounds                     $37,499,200

2002 – 2003                  37,406,000 pounds                     $36,490,000

2003 – 2004                  38,336,000 pounds                     $38,681,400

2004 – 2005                  33,339,000 pounds                     $34,306,000

2005 – 2006                  48,690,000 pounds                     $38,465,000

2006 – 2007                  38,000,000 pounds – projected    $34,200,000

 EDITOR’S NOTE: DIGITAL PHOTOS OF THE HARVEST ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.  CONTACT PAMELA BIERI AT (760) 568-4422 OR rbieri@dc.rr.com

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