A better 1986 was forecast for California farmers.

Agricultural economists forecast a brighter 1986 after several years of slumping prices due to overproduction. “It appears that we’ve reached the bottom of this supply-side problem in permanent planted crops and that we’re going on the upswing,” Frederick Cannon of Bank of America told a Fresno symposium. New tree crops and grapes planted several years ago are now producing, while some old acreage is being pulled out, Cannon said. Kevin McDermott of the Bakersfield-based Calcot cotton cooperative said exports of the area’s premier acala cotton will surpass government and industry predictions.