Mar 30, 2015

Pink Lady steadily increasing in volume

According to production figures from the U.S. Apple Association, Pink Lady volume has shown a steady seasonal average increase of 8.6 percent over the last six years, from 2009 to 2014.

“During this period, we’ve seen Pink Lady production go from just over 3.6 million cartons in 2009 to over 5.3 million cartons last fall,” said John Reeves, general manager of Pink Lady America in Yakima, Washington.

Model projections based on tree plantings show production in the U.S. should reach 150,000 metric tons in 3 more years, according to a Pink Lady America press release.

“I guess you could say the Pink Lady Brand Apple has been flying under the radar when it comes to being noticed by some, but there’s no doubt its percentage of production increase has been very impressive.”

Pink Lady growers are also enjoying the influence of more than a steady production increase, Reeves said.

“The ability to have a large crop of apples is always beneficial but of course the grower has other vital factors in mind when it comes to his goals,” he said. “And the success reflected in the packout numbers are usually at the top of that list.”

Packout averages are very high for Pink Lady brand apples compared to other varieties currently being grown commercially. There are also many high-paying uses for those few off-grade by products including the ‘slicing’ section. This has enabled Pink Lady branded apples to be either No. 1 or No. 2 for bringing the highest returns to the grower. This is out of the top 10 varieties, as it relates to tonnage, that are now being grown in the U.S. over the last several years, according to the release.