An already large 2016/17 Washington apple crop just got larger. The Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) has released its revised forecast for this year’s crop, projecting a total volume of 137.4m 40lb (18kg) cartons, up 3.4 per cent on the August estimate of 132.9m cartons.
“Apple harvesting is still ongoing for some Washington varieties, but based on volumes harvested so far our members are expecting an increase to 137.4m boxes,” said Jon DeVaney, WSTFA president.
“Since not all varieties have finished being picked, this estimated total may be revised in December.Our members are seeing a high-quality crop with good storage potential, meaning consumers can expect delicious Washington apples throughout 2017.”
The latest estimate is based on a survey of WSTFA members, and represents fruit picked through to 31 October and a best estimate of what is still to be harvested.
If the estimates prove accurate, this year’s crop would trail only the 2014 season, when shipments totaled more than 141m cartons.
Increasing output for fresh apples in Washington State has become the new normal for the industry as growers have pursued higher yielding plantings and varieties to combat rising costs of production. High-density plantings of naturally prolific new apple varieties are steadily maturing across Washington State with each new season, and this has taken the industry to new frontiers of production. Many industry observers privately admit that Washington’s annual apple production is likely to regularly exceed 150m cartons by the end of the decade.
