Fresh produce, floral industry has big effect on economy, says study

The country's fresh produce and floral industry contributed more than 1.6 million jobs to the economy in 2006, the last year for which employment data are available. The industry and those workers, in turn, created another 1.02 million jobs through their spending. Together, they represent 2.7 million jobs or 1.9 percent of all U.S. employment.

Those are the findings of a study prepared by the Cleveland-based Battelle Technology Partnership Practice for the Produce Marketing Association of Newark, Del.

The fresh produce and floral industry contributes $72 billion in wages and accounts for $275 billion in direct economic output, according to the study.

When you add in the industry's spending with suppliers and workers' spending, it jumps to a $554 billion contribution to the economy.

Based on that level, the study says the industry accounts for 4.23 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product in 2006.

The top five states, based on their number of jobs, were California, 518,028; Florida, 192,808; Texas, 189,965; New York, 124, 481; and pennsylvania, 102,179. Together, they accounted for more than $30 billion in direct wages.

"The fresh produce and floral industry has a large economic footprint and generates a substantial employment impact throughout the U.S. It is a far reaching industry with a presence and impact not only across all 50 states but also at the local level, spanning every Congressional District," according to the study.

More apples remain in storage

Although the number of apples that remained in storage declined between Feb. 1 and March 1, there were still 30 percent more than at the same time a year ago.

The Vienna, Va.-based U.S. Apple Association reported that 62 million bushels of apples were in storage as of March 1. That's also 25 percent more than the industry five-year average.

But during February, movement of fresh apples was 11 percent greater than the same period in 2007 and 14 percent more than the five-year average.

“Driven by delicious taste, abundant variety and real health benefits, consumer demand for apples nationwide continues to be robust across all market segments,” says Mark Seetin, USApple’s director of regulatory and industry affairs.

Processing apple holdings were 24 million bushels, 7 percent below year-earlier levels and 11 percent below the five-year average.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported prices received by growers for fresh apples fell to 24.2 cents per pound, 3 cents below the five-year average for the February-March period.

Retail prices for red delicious apples rose from $1.18 per pound to $1.23 per pound in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Strawberries help fight bad cholesterol

Add strawberries to the growing list of super foods.

A 2.5-year-long study by the University of Toronto found that the antioxidants in strawberries helped manage bad cholesterol, according to a news release.

The study, conducted by Dr. David J.A. Jenkins, backs existing evidence that touts strawberries as a nutrient-rich foods. It showed that the antioxidants in strawberries can improve and maintain the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering diets.

According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study, strawberries rank third in antioxidants compared with other fresh fruits and vegetables.

“As more Americans embrace healthy eating trends to promote their own health and guard against illness, these types of findings are important,” Jenkins says. “Diet plays a crucial role in lowering cholesterol and including antioxidant-rich strawberries in a healthy diet is a behavior change that’s simple and delicious to make.”

The Toronto study involved 28 men and women with high cholesterol who were on a cholesterol-lowering diet that included soy, oat bran, plant sterols and nuts.

One half of the group was instructed to eat about 3 cups of strawberries per day while the other group consumed additional oat bran bread for one month.

Results showed that the subjects who ate strawberries maintained their lowered blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while reducing oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol.

LDL, commonly known as bad cholesterol, becomes even more damaging when it becomes oxidized.

The berries also improved the taste of the cholesterol-lowering diet, which can affect whether people will stick with an eating plan.