Article: Experts predict leaner nut crop.(Business)(Weather may have played a role in the forecasted 33,000 tons of Oregon hazelnuts in 2007, down from 2006)

Byline: Sherri Buri McDonald The Register-Guard

After a flurry of picking and cracking, federal agricultural officials predict that Oregon will produce 33,000 tons of hazelnuts this year.

That would be down 23 percent from last year's crop of 43,000 tons, but up 20 percent from 2005's crop, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The forecast came in higher than estimates made earlier in the year, said Polly Owen, manager of the Hazelnut Marketing Board, "so this is extremely good news."

It also indicates a leveling out of what agriculture wonks call a "biennial bearing pattern" - a boom year, followed by a slack ...

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