Washington apples

The US Apple Association announced at its annual marketing conference last week that national apple volumes are expected to jump 1 per cent during the 2009/10 season to 235m 42lb boxes, boosted by a massive increase in the Michigan crop of 82 per cent.

However, Washington apple volumes are expected to fall 4 per cent through the campaign, down to 132m boxes, with 107m boxes heading for the fresh fruit market, according to The Packer.

The New York apple crop, the second-largest in the country, is expected to hit 30m boxes during 2009/10, the Association revealed, up 1 per cent on the previous season.

On the first day of the Outlook Conference, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has forecast a slightly higher national crop of 241m 42lb carton equivalents, the fourth-largest on record.