Apple Crop Down From Record Year But Less Fruit Means Better Price For State’s Growers

Apple growers can celebrate this year - the industry’s initial production forecast shows this year’s crop is about 9 percent smaller than last year’s record. And that may mean higher prices for those they do pick.

The annual August prediction, released earlier this week, suggests this year’s crop will be about 86 million 42-pound boxes, down from the more than 94 million boxes produced in 1996.

Jim Thomas, spokesman for the Washington State Apple Commission, said the report is good news for Red Delicious apple growers, who experienced low prices during the 1996 marketing season.

The low prices - an average of $12.30 for a box of Red Delicious apples compared with an average price of $15 in 1995 - are a result of an over-supply combined with the large quantity of smaller apples in that crop, Thomas said.

Including packing and storage charges, it costs growers about $12 a box to produce the apples, according to the Washington Growers Clearing House.

The 1997 crop is expected to have larger fruit sizes, which are more highly prized by retailers, Thomas said.

“If the weather cooperates, quality should be pretty good across the board,” Thomas said. “We could use some good news.”

The estimates were released Tuesday by the Wenatchee Valley Traffic Association and the Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association. The two groups track shipment of fresh packed apples grown in the state, and do not include those apples that will be used for processing.

Red Delicious production, at a projected 48.6 million boxes this year, will fall about 13 percent from last year. Golden Delicious apples will fall about 19 percent this year to 14.6 million boxes.

“This is pretty much what we expected,” said Kirk Mayer, Clearing House manager. “We had big crops last year and the trees have to rest a bit.”

Most apple varieties go through an alternate bearing cycle, and large crops are generally followed by smaller crops, Mayer said.

New variety apples will remain relatively stable this year.

Fujis will remain the state’s third-largest apple crop at 7 million boxes, the same as last year. Production of the late harvest apple doubled the year before, sending average returns tumbling from $29 to $20 a box this past year.

“Fuji has lost some of its popularity because growers find it difficult to grow,” Mayer said. “Galas have become more popular because the industry has learned how to store it.”

Gala production will increase from 4.1 million boxes last year to 4.6 million boxes. Gala prices dropped as well from $25 for the 1996 crop to $22 this year.

Granny Smith production will increase about 13 percent this year to 6.4 million boxes. Braeburns will increase from 1.5 million boxes last year to 1.8 million boxes, up 24 percent.