Washington State’s apple industry is preparing for a slight reduction in production volumes over the upcoming 2017 season.
The latest forecast from the Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) puts the 2017 crop at 130.9m cartons (18.1kg), down 1.2 per cent on 2016’s 132.9m carton crop.
“Harvest is starting a few weeks later than last year, and growers anticipate a crop of good quality fruit,” said Jon DeVaney, WSTFA president.
The Washington State harvest typically begins in August and continues into November.
Red Delicious remains the most prevalent apple variety grown in Washington State, accounting for a projected 24 per cent of 2017 production. Gala is tipped to be close behind at 22.5 per cent, followed by Fuji at 14 per cent and Granny Smith at 13 per cent. This year Honeycrisp is forecast to come in at 8 per cent of the total crop and Cripps Pink at 5 per cent.
The WSTFA forecast is based on a survey of its 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 processor).
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