Latest US apple production figures show a further fall, with the new forecast at 10 per cent down on last year’s volume.

According to predictions from the US Apple Association, total US production is expected to reach 223,456 tonnes, compared with last year’s total of 248,093t.

Production in the Washington state area is expected to fall by 13 per cent to 126,000t, down one per cent on the five year average. However, volume for the fresh market is only expected to fall by eight per cent, insiders said, and fruit is expected to be around six days earlier this season.

Meanwhile, at the recent US Apple Outlook conference in Chicago it was revealed apple production elsewhere in the world is also tipped to fall, with Canada expected to be down three per cent, Mexico 15.2 per cent and China showing a significant drop of around 18 per cent