Grower prices for apples, pears, and sweet cherries have generally been strong the last few years. But have orchardists really made great gains? A closer look at orchard inputs shows that expenses are also up, and up dramatically. Industry data collected by the Washington Growers Clearing House Association show that the average f.o.b. prices per box for all grades and sizes of apples in 2005 and 2006 were $16.19 and $19.05, respectively, up significantly from the average f.o.b. price of $11.29 in 1998. Data for pears, also from the Clearing House, show steady increases in price for the last four […]