Apple Estimates for 2021 Pt 1
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. In spite of the hotter than average weather and drought in the Pacific Northwest, this year’s apple crop is looking to be substantial.
But, Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, says word is the crop would have been larger if not for the weather …
DeVANEY … “But, as a result of the heat, we’re looking at, essentially, an unchanged crop from last year in terms of total number of boxes.”
And the numbers, DeVaney says are impressive …
DeVANEY … “The 2020 crop was 122-million boxes and our members are estimating 124.85, so that’s very close. But we’re looking at still a good-sized crop for consumers. Even after you’ve removed any fruit that may have been damaged or not be marketable because of sizing or color issues because of heat.”
Bottom line, DeVaney says this is pretty good news …
DeVANEY … “There’s been a lot of concern about the effects of the heat and there’s still several months of weather to go, but we are still looking at a good-sized apple crop and we’ll still have an adequate supply of high-quality fruit and especially those new varieties for consumers to enjoy.”
But, DeVaney says the season is just beginning …
DeVANEY … “That’s why farmers are used to weather variability and so when you know you still have three months of harvest weather ahead of you, you know that this is an estimate and not a final answer.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on the 2021 Washington apple crop estimates and how the varieties are changing.
