2017 Washington Apple Crop Down Slightly

The Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) released its forecast for the 2017 Washington state fresh apple crop this week, calling for 130.9 million standard 40-pound boxes of fresh apples. It’s down 1.2% from 2016’s 132.9 million box crop.

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“The 2017 Washington state apple crop looks to be slightly smaller than last year’s crop but will still deliver an ample supply of tasty apples for consumers to enjoy this year,” Jon DeVaney, WSTFA President, said. “Harvest is starting a few weeks later than last year, and growers anticipate a crop of good quality fruit.”

Consumers will have many varieties of Washington apples to choose from. While ‘Red Delicious’ remains the most abundant variety, with a projected 24% of production, ‘Gala’ is close behind at 22.5%, followed by ‘Fuji’ at 14% and ‘Granny Smith’ at 13% of total production. This year ‘Honeycrisp’ is forecast to come in at 8% of the total crop and ‘Cripps Pink’ at 5%.

This forecast is based on a survey of WSTFA members, and represents a best estimate of the total volume of apples that will eventually be packed and sold on the fresh market (excluding product sent to processors). Apple harvest typically begins in August and continues into November, and as a result this forecast is still subject to several months of variable weather, which can affect the final harvest total.

 

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