Legislation Aims To Bolster New York Apple Orchards

In an effort to bolster New York’s apple orchards so that farmers remain competitive in an intense apple market, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer recently announced legislation he will be introducing to create an innovative program to promote the renewal of the apple industry and increase the variety of apples produced.

Consumer preference for new varieties of apples has driven up profits for orchards that have been able to replace old trees with trees that can produce these new apples, but planting new varieties can be expensive. Schumer noted that many orchards cannot meet emerging demand because of the high cost of transitioning to new varieties of apple trees or planting more efficient trees.

Schumer says his legislation was modeled after Nova Scotia’s Honeycrisp Orchard Renewal Program (HCORP) and will create a partnership between the government, the apple industry, and orchards to replace older apple trees with newer apple trees that produce varieties with increased demand on the fresh market. The legislation will provide up to $20 million dollars per year for USDA to give out in low interest loans and grants to orchard owners, association of producers, or farm cooperatives to upgrade their orchards. Owners or associations would apply directly to the USDA for funding. The legislation is called the APPLE Act – Apple Profit Protection for Local Economies Act.

“The time is ripe for renewal,” said Schumer. “Converting apple orchards in New York to newer varieties will allow them to take advantage of the growing demand for these types of apples. We have a great opportunity to increase apple production and sales and that is why I am introducing legislation to get this modernization program going as soon as possible so that apple farmers can reap the fruits of their labor.”