Jun 18, 2009

24 Million Bushels of Apples Still in Storage

U.S. holdings of fresh-market apples were at 24.4 million bushels on June 1, down from 35.5 million reported on May 1, according to the U.S. Apple Association (USApple) report released in mid-June.

The holdings are a 53 percent increase over last year and 19 percent over the five-year average. But movement for May exceeded 2008 levels by 21 percent, and beat the five-year average by 19 percent.

Prices to growers continued to decline, reaching 17 cents a pound in May, according to USDA figures. Fresh apple market prices peaked last September at about 55 cents a pound.

Processing apple holdings of 10.4 million bushels were 48 percent more than a year ago and 17 percent more than the five-year average.

The total number of apples in storage on June 1 was 34.8 million bushels, 30 percent less than last month, 53 percent more than last June and 32 percent higher than the five-year average.

Details are in the June edition of USApple’s Market News, found as a downloadable PDF at www.usapple.org/media/publications/marketnews/2009/june2009.pdf.