The New York Apple Association is warning that the UK apple market will be extremely short of Empire apples in the coming season as crop volumes hit an all-time low.
After extensive frost and hail damage across New York state, output will be reduced to its lowest level since the variety was first grown commercially some 50 years ago.
New York’s apple crop as a whole is 52 per cent down year-on-year, according to the latest industry forecast, released at last week’s Apple Outlook conference in Chicago.
However, Empire has been particularly badly affected. Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, believes that the Empire crop is as much as 80 per cent smaller than last year and warns UK and European buyers that availability is going to be an issue.
Allen said: “In addition to the smaller crop, quality has been compromised by the poor weather, further reducing the supply of exportable fruit. The storms and the cold snap seemed to pick out Empire orchards as they travelled across the state and there is obvious concern that supplies will also fall short of demand on the domestic market.
“New York has not experienced this type of crop reduction since 1945 - it is truly a record low crop for our growers,” Allen added.
This follows two tough seasons for NY Empire in the UK. The 2010-11 campaign was hit by a ban on the use of waxing and emulsifying agent morpholine, but the situation was dragged back in 2011-12 as growers and shippers in New York adapted to the new European market demands.
Allen said this was the last thing the industry needed: “I think our shippers have shown the level of their commitment to their UK customers in the last 18 months, as they worked tirelessly to remedy a problem created by the European authorities, not by themselves. We had done everything required of us and more, but Mother Nature has conjured up a problem we simply cannot solve this season.”
He urged UK customers to talk with their US suppliers throughout the season. “Our industry remains committed to its UK customer base and we do have other varieties available, albeit also in small volumes,” said Allen. “But this is an exceptional Empire season, for all the wrong reasons. We can only look forward to better in 12 months time.”
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