Apr 18, 2005

April Apple Holdings Up 36 Percent from 2004

Total March movement of fresh and processing apples of 20.5 million bushels was up 18 percent from movement in 2004 and 5 percent above the five-year average for March movement, according to the U.S. Apple Association’s (USApple) nationwide survey of apple storage facilities. The strong movement is attributed to greater supplies of fresh apples and continued strong demand this season.

Movement of fresh apples from regular and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage of 13.1 million bushels during March was 21 percent higher than the March 2004 movement and 5 percent higher than the five-year average for March movement.

Movement of fresh-market apples from CA storage during March was 12.5 million bushels, 24 percent higher than the same time last year, and up 8 percent from the five-year March average.

March movement of processing apples of 7.4 million bushels was 14 percent above 2004 movement and 5 percent higher than the five-year average for March movement.

April 1 U.S. Holdings

Total U.S. holdings of fresh and processing apples on April 1 were 67.8 million bushels, a 36 percent increase from holdings on April 1, 2004 and 21 percent higher than the five-year average of 56.2 million bushels.

April 1 U.S. fresh holdings of 45 million bushels were 41 percent above last year and 22 percent above the five-year average.

Holdings of fresh-market and processing apples in CA storage on April 1 were 61.7 million bushels, a 36 percent increase from April 1, 2004, and 20 percent higher than the five-year average. Fresh CA holdings on April 1 were 37 percent higher than holdings on April 1, 2004, and 18 percent above the five-year average for holdings on that date.

Total processing apple holdings as of April 1 were 22.8 million bushels, 27 percent higher than on April 1, 2004, and 19 percent above the five-year average for that date.

Regional Fresh Apple Holdings

On a regional basis, fresh holdings on April 1 in the Northeast were 3.6 million bushels, a 6 percent decrease from holdings on April 1, 2004, but 11 percent higher than the five-year average for that date. Southeast April 1, 2005, fresh holdings were 38 percent lower than on April 1, 2004, and 37 percent below the five-year average for that date.

In the Midwest, April 1 fresh holdings were 1.8 million bushels, down 25 percent as compared to holdings on April 1, 2004, and 10 percent lower than the five-year average. Fresh market apples in storage in the Southwest on April 1 totaled 90,346 bushels, a 402 percent increase compared to that date in 2004. However, Southwest holdings were 21 percent lower than the five-year average.

Northwest April 1 fresh holdings were 39.5 million bushels, 55 percent higher than on April 1, 2004, and 25 percent above the five-year average for that date.

Fresh Holdings by Variety

On a varietal basis, April 1 fresh-market Red Delicious holdings were 18.5 million bushels, a 40 percent increase from that date in 2004, but 1 percent less than the five-year average.

Fresh Golden Delicious holdings of 7.2 million bushels were up 61 percent from holdings on April 1, 2004, and 19 percent higher than the five-year average for that date.

Fresh Granny Smith holdings of 5.3 million bushels on April 1 were up 39 percent from holdings on April 1, 2004, and 57 percent above the five-year average for that date.

McIntosh holdings on April 1 were 1 million bushels, up 8 percent from holdings on April 1, 2004, and up 37 percent from the five-year average.

Fresh Fuji holdings of 5.1 million bushels on April 1 were up 64 percent compared to last year’s holdings on that date, and increased 65 percent as compared to the five-year average.

Fresh Gala holdings on April 1 were 2.5 million bushels, up 58 percent from April 1, 2004, levels and 137 percent greater than the five-year average.

Fresh Empire holdings were 842,720 million bushels, a 34 percent decrease from April 1, 2004, levels and 17 percent below the five-year average.