Top Apple Varieties
From the Western Ag Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. With apple harvest underway, it shouldn’t be too long before we get a taste of our favorite varieties.
Michael Schadler, President of the Washington Apple Commission, says the order of the most produced apples should be pretty familiar …
SCHADLER … “So, the top five varieties last year would have been in this order, Galas, Grannies, Red Delicious, Honey Crisp, and Cosmic. Those are the top five.”
And this year’s most popular apples, Schadler says shouldn’t change too much …
SCHADLER … “You know, I think that could be the same order again. Honeys might be down a little bit, as maybe Cosmic Crisp gets into the number four spot.”
But Schadler says the growth of the Cosmic Crisp’s popularity may not yet have reached its peak …
SCHADLER … “You know, I think, looking out over the next five years, forecasts I’ve seen is to have Cosmic continue to grow as a variety in the state. So, I mean, I think it’s probably realistic to think, you know, over the next three, four, five years that Cosmic could even get into that number one spot in the state. Which I think is a really good thing.”
Because Schadler says of its market success to this point …
SCHADLER … “It’s an apple that does well domestically, but it also does well in exports. It ships well, has good color, consumers like it, so it is a winner. People have been bullish on Cosmic and there was a little bit of disappointment out of the gate of how it performed, but I think everybody’s pretty happy with it now and hopes that it continues to grow.”
Again, that’s Michael Schadler, President of the Washington Apple Commission.
