Aug 8, 2017

Washington apple harvest predicted to be 130.9 million boxes

The Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) released its forecast for the 2017 Washington state fresh apple crop Aug. 7.

The 2017 forecast is for a crop of 130.9 million standard 40-pound boxes of fresh apples.  This is down 1.2 percent from 2016’s 132.9 million box crop.

 “The 2017 Washington state apple crop looks to be slightly smaller than last year’s crop but will still deliver an ample supply of tasty apples for consumers to enjoy this year,” said Jon DeVaney, WSTFA President.  “Harvest is starting a few weeks later than last year, and growers anticipate a crop of good quality fruit.”

 Consumers will have many varieties of Washington apples to choose from.  While Red Delicious remains the most numerous variety with a projected 24 percent of production, Gala is close behind at 22.5 percent, followed by Fuji at 14 percent and Granny Smith at 13 percent of total production. This year Honeycrisp is forecast to come in at 8 percent of the total crop and Cripps Pink at 5 percent.

This forecast is based on a survey of WSTFA members, and represents a best estimate of the total volume of apples that will eventually be packed and sold on the fresh market (excluding product sent to processor). Apple harvest typically begins in August and continues into November, and as a result this forecast is still subject to several months of variable weather which can affect the final harvest total.