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Gallardo |
WENATCHEE — Labor, cost structures and price premiums for quality all are issues for Washington’s tree fruit industry. They also are the research and extension focus of agricultural economist Karina Gallardo, one of the newest faculty members of the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.
“I like WSU because it gives me an opportunity to work closely with industry groups and because of the diversity of scientists I get to work with,” Gallardo said. “It provides the perfect mix of science and economics.”
Gallardo already is working on a number of projects aimed at benefitting the tree fruit industry. She is part of the Enhancing Biological Control to Stabilize Western Orchard IPM Systems project led by Vince Jones, WSU professor and entomologist. In addition, she is working with WSU Extension Specialist Gene Kupferman and the Northwestern Pear Bureau to see if there is any price premium consumers are willing to pay for pears treated with different post-harvest ripening agents.
Another big project for Gallardo is updating the database of cost factors of different tree fruit. “We need a system capable of delivering updated production budgets for major tree fruit in the state, such as apples, pears, cherries, peaches and nectarines, on a yearly basis,” she said.
But providing budget information is not the only thing growers need to make prudent production decisions, Gallardo said. She is partnering with Mykel Taylor to look at a variety of ways to help address labor issues facing the industry. Taylor is an assistant professor of economics and Extension economist.
“We are looking at ways to increase labor effectiveness,” Gallardo said.
For example, does the increased productivity of adopting new technology such as mechanized platforms that move workers through an orchard offset the cost of implementing it?
“A variety of factors influence that,” Gallardo said. “There’s price, but there are also other factors such as the size of the operation and the demographics of the orchard owners or decision-makers.”
For more information on economic sciences at WSU, please visit: https://ses.wsu.edu.
For more information on tree fruit research at WSU, please visit: https://www.tfrec.wsu.edu.
