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Weather Favorable for Apples, Washington Crop Down

By Karen Gentry Associate Editor
Weather has cooperated around the country for the apple growing season and growers overall are optimistic about this year’s crop. This optimism is tempered by the need for growers to garner better prices and make a profit.

Washington

The apple crop in Washington is expected to be considerably less than last year, according to Dan Kelly, assistant manager of the Washington Growers Clearinghouse. This shorter crop is due to an alternate bearing year, a later bloom than normal, and tree removal of 20,000 acres of trees, Kelly said,

Last year Washington produced 98 million boxes of apples, the second largest crop. Although it’s too early to tell, it is estimated Washington’s crop this year will be 75 million to 85 million boxes, according to Kelly. He said it’s mostly the older varieties of Red Delicious being pulled out.

Although morale of growers is low due to growers losing money or going out of business, some things are changing with the formation of the apple cooperative and looking at grade issues. Kelly said he has been encouraged by some early success of the pear cooperative in Washington which has helped raise prices.

The weather in Washington has been fairly good for apple growers. Kelly said some growers are looking at some possible problems with irrigation.

New York

“We’ve got an excellent, excellent start of a great bountiful crop,” said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association (NYAA).

“We’ve had excellent weather for pollination all around the state,” said Peter Gregg, spokesman for NYAA. He said the weather has been very dry and sunny and very mild with little frost. Overall the bloom is about a week ahead of last year. “We could probably use some rain right now to help the new plantings, but otherwise we’re doing good,” he reported.

Allen said there has been no noticeable winter or frost damage. He said although the weather in mid-May was currently dry, growers welcome the dry weather they were experiencing as there’s less pressure from disease. “People are certainly optimistic about the crop,” Allen said. There are more apples in storage than desirable, particularly Empires, according to Allen.

He said that although overall market conditions are not very good, the predicted smaller crop nationally is favorable.

Michigan

In Michigan there was no freeze damage to the apple crop whatsoever, according to Tom Butler, from the Michigan Processing Apple Growers Division of MACMA.

“Right now I think our prospects are very good.” said Butler in mid-May. “The weather’s been really good,” he said. Because of the devastating fire blight that hit Southwest Michigan last year there has been some heavy removal of trees particularly in the hardest hit areas of western Van Buren County and eastern Berrien County.

Butler anticipates there will be less Jonathans produced. By mid-May early thinning was taking place in the Ridge area of Michigan and Oceana County growers were just past full bloom.

Butler speculates that Michigan will produce somewhat more than the 19.5 million bushels produced last year, which was down one-third from the previous year.

“We think crop potential in Northwest (Michigan) is excellent,” Butler said. He said he was unsure of the effects of six to eight inches of rain that fell in Oceana County in mid-May.

Pennsylvania

“We have a perfect looking bloom this year. It’s the best looking bloom we’ve seen,” said Kyle Nagurny, executive director of the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Board in mid-May.

Nagurny said the weather has been a little more classic this year although rain is needed in some areas. She said Pennsylvania growers anticipate a slightly larger crop compared to last year’s slightly lower yields. Pennsylvania will likely produce more than last year’s 11.5 million bushels.

She said the state is doing well moving apples out of storage although the larger shipper/packers still have product.

“Growers seem very optimistic about the crop,” Nagurny said. She said prices are a pervasive problem and there is always continued discussion on how to raise prices. Unlike other states no one has come forward with a proposal to form a cooperative. Nagurny said there has been some tree removal going on but that shouldn’t impact production in the short term.

Three-fourths of Pennsylvania’s apples are for processing. She said Pennsylvania and other apple-producing states need to look at new creative ways to market the apple crop.

California

Despite an erratic weather season in California with a week of very hot weather preceded by cool weather, California is looking forward to a really good year. California growers expect a better year than last year with excellent weather conditions, Kenton Kidd, from the California Apple Commission, reported in mid-May. He said two orchards in Central California in the San Joaquin Valley were hit by hail and their apples will have to be juiced.

Kidd said the Gala variety should come in slightly above last year at 1.4 million boxes. Granny Smith, California’s top apple, is expected to be up to 3.1 million boxes, up from 2.3 million last year. Fujis are expected to remain the same as last year, according to Kidd.

The California Apple Commission now has two merchandisers, Jill Mizono and Tom Tjerandsen working for them in an effort to boost profits for growers.

Virginia

Virginia experienced some damage due to early frost in pre-bloom, according to Diane Kearns, chairman of the Virginia State Apple Board from Fruit Hill Orchards.

“Some people lost some bushels in low lying areas,” said Kearns. In mid-May she said the apple set and bloom has been good. She said Virginia’s apple production should be “at least as good as last year, perhaps a little better.”

“Everything is looking pretty good. The biggest thing is water. We need rain,” Kearns said. She said 60-70% of Virginia’s crop goes for processing.

The Virginia Apple Growers Association is still in transition after the full-time position of executive director was eliminated. The administrative and marketing duties of the board are being handled by interim persons before a decision is made on contract employees, according to Kearns.