Mar 15, 2007

Fresh Apple Movement Beats Five-Year Average

Demand for U.S. apples remained strong in February, as the movement of fresh apples from storage surpassed the five-year average. February 2007’s total movement of fresh and processing apples, 18.4 million bushels, was down 6 percent from 2006, but 4 percent above the five-year average, according to the U.S. Apple Association’s (USApple) nationwide survey of storage facilities.

February 2007 movement of fresh apples from regular and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage, 11.8 million bushels, was 7 percent lower than February 2006 movement, but 4 percent above the five-year average. Movement of fresh-market apples from CA storage was 10 percent lower than the same time last year, but up 3 percent from the five-year February average.

February 2007 movement of processing apples, 6.6 million bushels, was 3 percent below 2006 movement, but 4 percent higher than the five-year average.

March holdings

U.S. fresh holdings on March 1, 49.1 million bushels, were 4 percent below 2006, but nearly equal to the five-year average.

On a regional basis, March 1 fresh holdings in the Northeast were 4.5 million bushels, a 13 percent increase from holdings last year and 5 percent higher than the five-year average. Southeast fresh holdings were 4 percent lower than March 1, 2006, and 25 percent lower than the five-year average.

In the Midwest, March 1 fresh holdings were 3 million bushels, up 49 percent compared to 2006 holdings and 29 percent higher than the five-year average. Fresh-market apples in storage March 1 were 70 percent lower in the Southwest than 2006, and 79 percent lower than the five-year average. Northwest fresh holdings of 41.3 million bushels were 7 percent lower than March 1, 2006, and 2 percent below the five-year average.

Fresh CA holdings on March 1 were 4 percent lower than holdings in 2006 but nearly equal to the five-year average.

March 1 holdings of fresh-market and processing apples in CA storage were 67.7 million bushels, a 3 percent decrease from 2006 but less than 200,000 bushels above the five-year average.

Total processing apple holdings on March 1 were 26.6 million bushels, 1 percent lower than 2006 but 1 percent above the five-year average.

Total March 1 holdings of fresh and processing apples were 75.7 million bushels, a 3 percent decrease from the 77.8 million bushels in 2006, but only 300,000 bushels above the five-year average of 75.4 million bushels.

Fresh holdings by variety

Fresh-market Red Delicious holdings on March 1 were 20.8 million bushels, an 8 percent increase from 2006 and 1 percent more than the five-year average. Fresh Granny Smith holdings of 6.9 million bushels were up 6 percent from 2006 and 25 percent above the five-year average. Fresh Golden Delicious holdings of 5.3 million bushels were down 38 percent from 2006 and 31 percent lower than the five-year average.

Fresh Fuji holdings of 4.8 million bushels were down 7 percent compared to last year and 3 percent less than the five-year average. Fresh Gala holdings were 4 million bushels, down 4 percent from 2006 levels but 25 percent greater than the five-year average. Fresh Empire holdings were 1.2 million bushels, a 29 percent increase from 2006 levels and 3 percent above the five-year average. March 1 McIntosh holdings were 892,000 bushels, up 17 percent from 2006 but down 14 percent from the five-year average.