Feb 13, 2009
January Fresh Apple Holdings up 7 Percent from 2008

January movement of fresh and processing apples was 7 percent above the same month last year and 14.4 percent higher than the five-year average, according to the U.S. Apple Association’s monthly survey of fresh apple holdings.

U.S. fresh-market apple holdings of 74.8 million bushels on Feb. 1 reflect a 16 percent decrease from January but a 26 percent increase over a year ago.

Holdings of apples for processing totaled 29 million bushels, 15 percent less than last month and 7 percent less than a year ago.

The total number of apples in storage on Feb. 1 was 104 million bushels, 16 percent less than last month, 15 percent more than last February’s total and 10.6 percent higher than the five-year average of 94 million bushels.

USApple’s report also included statistics on apple prices from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics.

According to the labor bureau, the average retail price of Red Delicious apples peaked at $1.58 a pound last September and fell to $1.26 in November, the last date for which it reported data.

The price received for all fresh apples by growers peaked at 58.6 cents a pound in September, according to NASS, and fell steadily to 27.6 cents a pound in January. That is the lowest since apple prices began their rise 18 months ago, but is right on the trend line for the five-year average. Graph source: USApple


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