Near Record High Apple Volumes

Near Record High Apple Volumes. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Washington apples are continuing to set records in the first quarter of 2011. Dan Kelly, assistant manager with the Washington Growers Clearinghouse give us some details.

KELLY: February appears to be another record month at least within the last 5 years so that means we had a record in November, December, January and now February. November was the biggest month ever, December came back and beat November’s monthly figure. Then January came back and beat any January but ended up coming in number 2 to December.

There are a number of factors why these numbers have remained strong.

KELLY: One of the big issues is the world crop of apples is down. Primarily the east coast, those guys could be wrapping up in May and June and so that’s kind of opened the door for us. Our export numbers continue to be pretty close to records. We’re ahead of last two years currently in shipments for exports and it’s not slowing down.

He says part of that is due to the weak U.S. dollar but rumor is too that other countries are rebounding from the economic slide faster so therefore have more money to buy fruit.

KELLY: It looks like we’re going to end up having a record apple crop. We’re about 400-thousand boxes shy of 2 years ago which was a record of 108.3. Right now we’re right at, well let’s say 108.

More tomorrow on the 2010 apple crop.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.