U.S. Apple Crop Estimated 9 Percent Above 2003

The U.S. apple crop is predicted to be up 9 percent over 2003’s crop, according to Aug. 1 estimates by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The crop is forecast to be 223 million bushels – compared with the 205.1 million-bushel crop in 2003.

Washington state is expected to have a crop of 123.8 million bushels – an increase of 16.67 bushels over last year’s crop. The crop represents a 16 percent increase over last year.

New York is expected to have a crop of 25 million bushels – up 6 percent over 2003’s 23.6 million bushels.

The apple crop in Michigan is forecast to be 18.1 million bushels, which represents a decrease of 1.9 million bushels from the 2003 crop.

California’s crop is forecast to be 10.5 million bushels, down slightly from last year’s 10.7 million bushels.

Pennsylvania is expecting a crop of 10.2 million bushels – down 3 percent from the year before – while Ohio apple growers are looking at a crop of 2.1 million bushels, which is the same as last year’s crop.

Oregon is forecast to have an apple crop of 4 million bushels, up more than 28 percent from 2003’s crop. Virginia’s apple crop is expected to be 6.2 million bushels, down from 2003’s 6.4 million bushels.

For the complete forecast for the nation’s 2004 apple crop, visit http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/field/pcp-bb/2004/crop0804.txt.