Apple industry needs Plan B
I find it interesting just how important the apple industry truly is. I had no idea that Washington produces 70 percent of the nation’s apples, totaling up to an annual value of $2.2 billion and about 1.3 billion apples.
A March 2 article states that “wheat and potatoes are the next-biggest crops, but they don’t reach half the value of apples.” And I thought that statistic would have been the other way round.
I think that it is crucial to make sure that the Agriculture Department does everything it can to protect the apple industry and keep apples safe from maggot infestation in order to be confident in their international trading with places like China, which recently opened back up their apple market.
The article also states that there is no set-in-stone “Plan B.” I think something as big as the apple industry, which has the potential to get ruined and lose lots of business, needs to have a Plan B, not to just cover the issue with a blanket but actually fix it.
Emily Owens
Spokane Valley