David Shapley
Washington State apples equating to as many as four million boxes have been frozen on the tree as they were awaiting picking.
The Fuji and Pink Lady varieties have been hit the hardest said George Smith, UK marketing director for the Washington Apple Commission.
Pre-season estimates placed Washington's apple harvest at 88.8 million boxes, up 6% from last year. Fuji, originally expected to pick out at 12.6 million boxes, could shrink to 10 million boxes or lower similar to last year, according to an informal industry survey.
Pink Lady, originally estimated at 710,000 boxes, could pick out at only 250,000. The variety is harvested late, so as many as two-thirds could have still been in the orchards when the frost hit.
"Pink Lady is one of the hottest selling new varieties, and we had high hopes for a great marketing season," said Byron Pugh, a Pasco Pink Lady grower. "It looks like we will have to delay our growth plans for a year."
WAC president Welcome Sauer confirmed that the Fuji crop was likely to be down 20% from what had been expected a week earlier. "Other late season varieties, such as Granny Smith and Braeburn, have also been affected," he added.
Much of the Washington crop, mainly Red Delicious types, has already been picked.
But this latest cold snap will shrink a US apple crop already at its lowest level since 1986.
Production in Michigan and New York is down 25% compared to one year ago, and Washington, which produces about 70% of the US crop, now expects to see only a small increase in the harvest compared to a year ago.
Growers expect the final Washington crop estimate to be available by the first of December. They are already forecasting increased prices.
{{MARKET EDGE }}
Washington State apples equating to as many as four million boxes have been frozen on the tree as they were awaiting picking.
The Fuji and Pink Lady varieties have been hit the hardest said George Smith, UK marketing director for the Washington Apple Commission.
Pre-season estimates placed Washington's apple harvest at 88.8 million boxes, up 6% from last year. Fuji, originally expected to pick out at 12.6 million boxes, could shrink to 10 million boxes or lower similar to last year, according to an informal industry survey.
Pink Lady, originally estimated at 710,000 boxes, could pick out at only 250,000. The variety is harvested late, so as many as two-thirds could have still been in the orchards when the frost hit.
"Pink Lady is one of the hottest selling new varieties, and we had high hopes for a great marketing season," said Byron Pugh, a Pasco Pink Lady grower. "It looks like we will have to delay our growth plans for a year."
WAC president Welcome Sauer confirmed that the Fuji crop was likely to be down 20% from what had been expected a week earlier. "Other late season varieties, such as Granny Smith and Braeburn, have also been affected," he added.
Much of the Washington crop, mainly Red Delicious types, has already been picked.
But this latest cold snap will shrink a US apple crop already at its lowest level since 1986.
Production in Michigan and New York is down 25% compared to one year ago, and Washington, which produces about 70% of the US crop, now expects to see only a small increase in the harvest compared to a year ago.
Growers expect the final Washington crop estimate to be available by the first of December. They are already forecasting increased prices.
{{MARKET EDGE }}
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