Nov 12, 2025

Federal shutdown disrupts USApple’s storage reporting

The federal government shutdown has interfered with U.S. Apple Association’s (USApple) monthly apple storage  reports.

The shutdown has prevented USDA workers in Michigan, typically the third largest U.S. apple producing state, from issuing its report.

“Total comparable U.S. fresh apple holdings cannot be reported for November 1, 2025, due to a Federal Government shutdown that prevents Michigan from being able to estimate its state’s holdings,” USApple reports In its Nov. 11 storage update. “A revised report will be issued once those data are available.”

Otherwise, overall fresh and processing apple inventories are reported lower in early November this year than in the previous year, according to the report. 

According to the USAppleTracker report, the total number of apples in storage on June 1 was 174.3 million bushels, slightly lower than 176.6 million bushels last year but higher than the 165.8 million bushels 5-year average for the month, according to USApple.

Fresh apple holdings in November totaled 127.5 million bushels, less than the 130.4 million bushels inventories reported for last November. Processing holdings totaled 46.8 million bushels, comparable to last year’s 46.2 million bushels reported last year on Nov. 1.

With the absence of Michigan data, among the seven top apple producing states, Washington and New York reported storage increases with Pennsylvania, Virginia, California and Oregon reporting decreasing storage volume. 

Washington’s total storage was 150 million bushels in November compared to 141 million bushels in 2024. That’s higher than the 132 million bushel five-year average for the time period.

New York was 14.9 million bushels for the period, compared to 13.7 million bushels the previous year, a figure that is higher than the 12 million bushel five-year average.

Pennsylvania’s storage was 4.6 million bushels compared to the previous year’s 4.7 million bushels and lower than the 5.3 million bushel five-year average.

Virginia storage was 1.5 million bushels, down from 1.7 million bushels the previous year and lower than the 1.9 million bushel five-year average.

Oregon’s inventories were 821,739 bushels, lower than the 868,504 bushels during the previous period. That compares lower than the state’s 1.1 million bushels five-year average.

California was 385,888 bushels, down from 409,716 bushels and lower than the 398,875 bushel five-year average.

In the leading varieties in storage, in order by volume, Honeycrisp jumped to the top spot, followed by Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Cosmic Crisp, Fuji, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, Golden Delicious, Envy, Ambrosia, Rome, Idared, McIntosh, Empire and York.

Read the report’s tables at the USAppleTracker November report.

The report captures more than 95% of the national storage capacity, according to USApple.