U.S. Apple Holdings Remain Below 2004 Levels
Total U.S. holdings of fresh and processing apples on Jan. 1 were 115.2 million bushels. That was 1 percent above the five-year average of 114.2 million bushels for holdings on that date.
Total fresh-market apple holdings on Jan. 1 were reported at 76.1 million bushels, a decrease of 7 percent from holdings of 81.5 million bushels a year before but 4 percent higher than the five-year average for holdings of 73.4 million bushels on that date.
Total processing apple holdings as of Jan. 1 were 39.1 million bushels, down 8 percent from 2005 and 4 percent less than the five-year average for that date.
Total holdings of fresh-market and processing apples in controlled atmosphere (CA) storage on Jan. 1 were 98.1 million bushels, a 6 percent decrease from 2005 but up 3 percent from the five-year average. Fresh CA holdings were 69.5 million bushels, a 5 percent decrease from holdings on Jan. 1, 2005, but 6 percent more than the five-year average for holdings on that date.
Apple Movement Strong
National movement of fresh-market apples is slower than the exceptional rates seen during the previous crop, but still stronger than the five-year average. Fresh market movement totaled 12.4 million bushels during December 2005, an 8 percent decrease over the year-earlier total of 13.6 million bushels but 3 percent greater than the five-year average of 12.1 million bushels. Regular storage accounted for 6.6 million bushels of December 2005 movement, a decrease of 3 percent from last year’s number, while 5.9 million bushels of movement were from CA storage, a decrease of 13 percent from December 2004.
On a regional basis, December 2005 movement of fresh-market apples in the Northeast was 2 percent less than December 2004 but 4 percent more than the five-year average movement. Movement in the Southeast was 30 percent more than in 2004 and 40 percent more than the five-year average.
Movement in the Midwest was 23 percent more than in December 2004 and 21 percent more than the five-year average for December. In the Southwest, movement was 13 percent more than December 2004 and 41 percent less than the five-year average.
In the Northwest, movement was 14 percent less than in December 2004 but up 1 percent from five-year average.
Regional Fresh Holdings
On a regional basis, fresh holdings in the Northeast were 13 percent lower than holdings on Jan. 1, 2005, and 5 percent lower than the five-year average for that date. Southeast Jan. 1 fresh holdings were 10 percent less than on Jan. 1, 2005, but 5 percent more than the five-year average for that date.
In the Midwest, Jan. 1 fresh holdings were down 1 percent compared to holdings on Jan. 1, 2005, and down 9 percent compared to the five-year average. Fresh-market apples in storage on Jan. 1 were 10 percent lower in the Southwest than on that date in 2005 and 23 percent lower than the five-year average.
Northwest Jan. 1, fresh holdings were 6 percent lower than Jan. 1, 2005, holdings, but 6 percent more than the five-year average for that date.
Fresh Holdings by Variety
On a varietal basis, Jan. 1 fresh Red Delicious holdings were 25.9 million bushels, a 9 percent decrease compared to Jan. 1, 2005, and 12 percent lower than the five-year average on that date.
Fresh Golden Delicious holdings were up 2 percent from holdings on Jan. 1, 2005, and increased 9 percent compared to the five-year average for that date.
Fresh Granny Smith holdings of 9.7 million bushels increased 3 percent compared to holdings on that date last year and were up 27 percent compared to the five-year average for Jan. 1.
Fresh Fuji holdings of 8.1 million bushels on Jan. 1 were down 14 percent from the previous year but increased 2 percent compared to the five-year average.
Fresh Gala holdings of 8.1 million bushels were down 6 percent from holdings on Jan. 1, 2005, but increased 38 percent compared to the five-year average for that date.
Fresh McIntosh holdings of 1.5 million bushels on Jan. 1 were down 33 percent from the previous year and down 24 percent from the five-year average.
Fresh Empire holdings of 1.5 million bushels on Jan. 1 decreased 17 percent compared to last year’s holdings on that date and were 20 percent lower than the five-year average.