DEGLET NOOR DATE HARVEST TO START IN LATE SEPTEMBER

High Quality Crop Expected

 

INDIO, CA. --   (September 6, 2006) California’s commercial Deglet Noor date harvest is expected to start on schedule beginning in the latter part of September and continuing through December throughout the Coachella Valley, according to Albert Keck, chairman of the California Date Administrative Committee and owner of Hadley Date Gardens.

            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 ripening expected to peak in late September.  With hot and dry weather conditions during the summer, a slightly cooler August and the continuing dry temperatures expected through September will make optimum conditions for harvest starting in the fall.

            “The harvest is on schedule this year with a high quality expected, barring any weather factors over the next few weeks,” said Keck. “A higher volume 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.”

            Keck noted this year’s overall production total 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.

            The overall volume this year as compared to industry averages between 22 to 45 million pounds over the last decade, is expected to remain about the same as last year’s production of 22 million pounds, according to CDAC Manager Lorrie Cooper.

            “The acreage of planted date gardens has actually increased to leverage out the older, less productive trees; however, we do not yet have a count of trees that have been pulled for landscape use,” said Cooper.  “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 fruit bearing.”

            Harvesting dates is labor intensive.  Specially trained “palmeros” either climb or are hoisted by cranes 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 an excellent source of dietary fiber, and 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.

            For more information about the California Dates and the California Date Industry, visit online at www.DatesAreGreat.com. 

#  #  #