Apple 2022 Forecast Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. The forecast for this year’s Washington apple crop is out and, as you might have heard, the cooler spring weather has taken a bit of a toll on projections.
But, Washington State Tree Fruit Association president, Jon
DeVaney says it’s not the end of the world …
DeVANEY … “No, it’s not the end of the world. It’s not great news, obviously. The growers were hoping for a little bit larger crop, but the cold spring weather during pollination did have an effect on the amount of fruit on the trees.”
Timing is everything, DeVaney says as the cold weather came when the trees were in bloom which kept away some of the bees …
DeVANEY … “That reduced the amount of thinning that was necessary this year. If you just had fewer flowers getting pollinated, you just left them there, and we ended up with a crop that was a little stronger than our friends growing cherries had, but was still down about 11.1% projected from last year.”
But no worries, DeVaney says there will still be plenty of apples for consumers …
DeVANEY … “Absolutely! That’s still going to be a crop of 108.7-million boxes of fruit. That’s plenty to satisfy the domestic market and still send some product to our export customers overseas who are also clamoring for high-quality, Washington apples. It’s just less that we’ve had in the last couple of years.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on this year’s Washington apple crop and how it’s starting to look a little different on the supermarket shelves.
