Many areas of the country
are anticipating lower-than-normal crop production this year, with
much of the blame placed on poor bloom and bad weather. These numbers
were reported at the 49th Annual Fruit Crop Guesstimate.
The Guesstimate, sponsored by Michigan Frozen Food Packers Association,
was held June 23 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Apples
The Michigan apple crop is expected to be below average this year
at 19.89 million bushels. That’s down 13 percent from last year’s
crop and more than 8 percent down from the five-year average. Dave
Smeltzer from Per-Clin Orchards said the timing of the bloom was the
reason for most of the drop.
“The reduction comes primarily from poor bloom,” Smeltzer
said. “We went into bloom in cloudy, wet, cold weather, which
also affected thinning.”
New York’s five-year average apple crop, according to the USDA,
is 25.9 million bushels, said Denise Yockey, from the Michigan Apple
Committee.
“They have a similar situation to Michigan with lots of moisture,
recording minimal scab and some hail,” she said. “Last
year they harvested 29.9 million bushels, and this year they are forecasting
at a little bit less at 27.7 million bushels.”
Pennsylvania’s five-year average is 11.4 million bushels of
apples. Yockey said they too are having similar weather to Michigan,
but no hail. She said in 2003 Pennsylvania harvested 10.4 million
bushels and this year the state is expecting about 9 million bushels.
Virginia’s five-year average is 7.3 million bushels of apples.
Due to severe hail, over thinning and some scab, Yockey said Virginia
is anticipating 5.5 million bushels, which is about 25 percent lower
than the 2003 harvest of 7.1 million bushels.
The five-year average apple crop in California is 10 million bushels.
“Reports of hail with a very hot spring caused an excessive
drop early on, but temperatures have fallen minus average,”
Yockey said. “They reported good size two weeks early, and about
three weeks from now they will be harvesting on the southern part
of the state.”
Last year California harvested 8.5 million bushels. They anticipate
the exact same for the coming year.
Washington’s five-year average is 131.7 million bushels of apples.
In 2003, Yockey said they harvested 116.7 million bushels and for
2004 they are forecasting 125 million bushels.
“Those six states over the last five years have averaged 87
percent of the production in the U.S.,” said Yockey. “The
national apple crop is expected to reach 222 million bushels, which
is up 5 percent from a year ago and down 7 percent from the USDA five-year
average.”
Peaches
This year the peach crop in Michigan is supposed to come in slightly
higher than in 2003, for a guesstimate of 9,260 tons. That’s
nearly 3 percent higher than the last year’s processed production
of 9,000 tons. Alan Lound from Birds Eye Foods said the estimated
increase is due to a better bloom this year.
Concord
grapes
There is a significant drop in the Concord Grape Crop this year in
Michigan, estimated to be at 40,000 tons. That’s a 21.59 percent
difference from the 2003 production of 51,000 tons.
Cultivated
blueberries
The Michigan blueberry crop is estimated to be 60 million pounds,
which is just under last year’s total production of 61.5 million
pounds. Tony Kucharski from Michigan Blueberry Growers marketing said
there have been some fertilizer and bloom issues, which is keeping
numbers down.
“Early applications of fertilizer has de-nitrified,” Kucharski
said. “And our bloom period was earlier and shorter than last
year. But fruitset is good and size is good.”
The national blueberry crop is expected to hit 436 million pounds.
That’s up nearly 1 percent from last year’s production
at 431.9 million pounds. Rod Cook from Producer Marketing Corp. said
the national increase is due mostly to great bloom and pollination
in the Northwest.
Tart Cherries
Tart cherries in Michigan are estimated at 132.7 million pounds this
year – nearly 14 percent lower than last year’s production
of 154 million pounds. Leo Steffens from Peterson Farms said colder
temperatures has made the difference.
“Per pollinations is the reason for the low crop,” he
said. “And that’s due to cold temperatures and little
sun.”
Sweet
cherries
Sweet cherries are estimated to nearly double this year in Michigan
to 50.5 million pounds. Al Steimel from Leelanau Fruit Co. said that
even though estimates are up from last year, sweet cherry growers
in Michigan have had to deal with some poor weather.
“We’ve had rainy, wet weather that didn’t allow
bees to work,” Steimel said. “We also got hail damage.
But overall it should be a good crop.”
