Fuji apples get knocked off state’s top 5 produced varieties

KENNEWICK – Washington apple growers pulled through a historic drought this spring to likely produce another record fruit crop. That is, if they have enough workers to pick them.

Washington is the top apple-producing state in the U.S., with the majority of commercial operations in Eastern Washington.

This year’s crop is expected to be 142 million 40-pound boxes, up from 124 million last year, said the Washington State Tree Fruit Association forecast on Thursday. That’s expected to be a 13% increase.

That’s due in part to the meteoric rise in popularity of the Cosmic Crisp variety since its launch six years ago.

For the first time, it’s one of Washington’s top five apples. The glossy, deep red variety, with a sweet-tart taste and crisp bite, makes up 9.6% of all apple production.

Also called WA-38, it was developed by Washington State University specifically for Eastern Washington’s agricultural conditions, making it more likely to survive drought conditions.

Galas continue their number one rank, accounting for 18% of the state’s apple production, the association said.

Honeycrisps are now the second most popular, besting Granny Smith (14.7%) and Red Delicious (12%).

Fuji apples are forecast to be nearly 9.1% of the crop, falling out of the Top 5.

Organically grown apples again represent 15% of this year’s overall crop, said the association.

Core apple crop

Despite unusually warm and dry periods, there were strong growing conditions this year.

The main growing regions are the Yakima Valley, Columbia Basin, Wenatchee Valley, Lake Chelan and Okanogan.

Jon DeVaney is the president of the tree fruit association. He said in a statement that there is a high chance that the final crop actually will be smaller than what’s forecast because of challenging economic conditions and concerns about having enough labor for harvest.

Farmers already have struggled in recent years to find enough laborers for Northwest harvests, now increased fears over immigration deportations and rising expenses are adding to the concerns.

DeVaney said that means growers will be more selective in what they pick.

It’s also uncertain how Trump’s new tariffs on other countries could harm apple exports. Nearly 30% percent of Washington’s harvest is imported by other nations.

And as the state’s leading agricultural commodity, apples are vital to the state’s economy.

The crop represented 16%, or $2 billion, of the state’s total farm-gate agricultural value in 2022, meaning the market value after selling costs, said the association.

The apple forecast is based on a survey of tree fruit association members and is the best estimate of the total volume of apples that will be packed and sold on the fresh market.

Harvest typically begins in August and continues into November.