New York Apple Crop Two Weeks Behind Schedule

Posted by Christina Herrick|May 14, 2014

After a slow start to the growing season, New York Apple Association, Inc. (NYAA) reports that trees in the Hudson Valley are in full bloom. The association expects trees in central and Western New York should be in bloom by next week. Lake Champlain is about two weeks from bloom. In total, 11.3 million trees in the state will flower.

The late spring has put the 2014 apple crop about two weeks behind schedule. On the upside, a late spring also means less chance of damaging frost like the state saw in 2012, NYAA President Jim Allen says.

Allen says that growers are expecting a “business as usual” size crop this fall following last year’s very large crop. The 2013 crop totaled out at about 32 million bushels; the state’s average is 29.5 million bushels.

“According to U.S. Apple Association’s Market News reports, New York has fewer 2013-crop apples left in storage than we had 2012-crop apples at this same time last year. Considering that the 2012 crop was almost 50% smaller than the 2013 crop, we think we’re doing quite well indeed,” says Julia Stewart, NYAA spokeswoman. “We expect the 2013 crop to be sold out well before the 2014 crop is harvested.”

Source: New York Apple Association, Inc. news release