Lower Apple Harvest May Boost Prices 1995 Crop 14 Percent Smaller Than 1994’S Record

The Washington apple harvest dropped 14 percent this year - but growers and packers are elated.

Growers harvested 79.5 million boxes this year - the third-largest in history, but well below the record 92 million boxes in 1994.

The decline is expected to move prices higher after the 1994 crop flooded the market.

“This is a relief for most everybody,” manager Dave Reed of the Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association said in a statement released by the Washington Apple Commission. “Certainly this report will strengthen the market.”

Reed and the Wenatchee Valley Traffic Association in August had estimated a statewide crop of 84.2 million boxes. A box contains 42 pounds of apples.

A smaller crop of Red Delicious, the state’s top variety, was the chief reason for the change. Poor weather during spring pollination may have contributed to the decline.

Reds dropped to 48.51 million boxes, 15 million less than a year ago. Golden Delicious fell 3 percent to 15.9 million boxes, and Granny Smiths declined 14 percent to 6 million boxes. Fuji apples were nearly unchanged at 3.04 million boxes, while Galas jumped 7 percent to 2.94 million boxes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week projected a 2 percent drop in total U.S. apple production.

, DataTimes