Apple Estimate Update
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. More is not always better, and that’s something Washington apple growers can really appreciate for this year’s crop.
After a reduction of the apple forecast, Michael Schadler, president of the Washington Apple Commission, says there’s one thing he’d like to say about this NEW crop …
SCHADLER … “I want to commend the growers because they’ve been very disciplined. And we were staring down at a 142 million estimate on August first and between the discipline of growers and some very, very hot weather at the end of August and early September, we now have an estimate that is, for the crop, just over 130 million. So, it went from 141-42 down to 130 and that’s going to shift the market a little bit.”
Schadler says that will support prices, so things are not looking quite as dire from a price and market perspective …
SCHADLER … “I would not say a lot of optimism. There’s some cautious optimism with the reduction in the crop forecast. So, we harvested less fruit than we thought we would and there’s been kind of a structural oversupply for the last at least five years.”
It’s possible, Schadler says that this shift could work out well …
SCHADLER … “So, if we can get that supply to the point where it’s more manageable, as it now seems to be for this current season, and if we can continue in the direction over the next couple of seasons, I think we have a real good shot of starting to see this industry turn around.”
But Schadler says some segments of the industry are still likely to feel the pain.
