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Wildfire damages less than initially feared
United States
Sunday 04 November 2007
Damage to California avocados less serious than earlier reports indicated, but losses still expected to run deep.
California's avocado crops have not been as severly damaged by last week´s wildfires as was initially feared, but losses are still expected to amount to tens of millions of dollars, according to an avocado industry spokesman.
Although earlier reports had indicated that as many as 8,094 ha of San Diego county´s 9,498 ha of avocado graves had been wiped out by the fires, the industry now believes the final figure will be closer to 1,416 ha.
Guy Witney, director of industry affairs for the California Avocado Commission, told the media that the actual area affected was expected to be only a fraction of initial estimates.
This year's total avocado yield is likely to only 10 per cent down on the original forecast of 365m pounds of produce for the 2007/08 season. However, some 194 ha of avocado groves were destroyed or damaged in San Diego county.
California's avocado crops have not been as severly damaged by last week´s wildfires as was initially feared, but losses are still expected to amount to tens of millions of dollars, according to an avocado industry spokesman.
Although earlier reports had indicated that as many as 8,094 ha of San Diego county´s 9,498 ha of avocado graves had been wiped out by the fires, the industry now believes the final figure will be closer to 1,416 ha.
Guy Witney, director of industry affairs for the California Avocado Commission, told the media that the actual area affected was expected to be only a fraction of initial estimates.
This year's total avocado yield is likely to only 10 per cent down on the original forecast of 365m pounds of produce for the 2007/08 season. However, some 194 ha of avocado groves were destroyed or damaged in San Diego county.
