07/31/08 Apple Update

Apple Update. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. With July over there is soon going to be a lot of attention on the apple crop. Dave Carlson, President of the Washington Apple Commission says size is the big issue. CARLSON: I'm hearing that from almost everybody and not just one variety either. Even the varieties that usually size pretty well. Crop estimates have been good so far. CARLSON: I'm still hearing estimates of anywhere from 90 to 100-million depending on who you talk to. I think most of the consensus is that it's somewhere around 96 to 97-million. Size overall seems to be down about one size and that can have a major impact on the total according to Carlson. CARLSON: You know if it drops an average of one box size that's, you know if you roughly have 100-million boxes one drop in one size is 10%. So if it's one size it's roughly 9 or 10-million boxes and that's the big thing. Apple producers in New York, Michigan and even British Columbia have been dealing with hail damage which may help the Washington crop some. More on that tomorrow. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.