May 26, 2015

Washington state experiencing ‘historic’ apple dump

You can smell rotten fruit from a mile away; folks in Washington state know that firsthand.

Multiple news organizations have reported that the state is experiencing the largest apple dump in its history. Millions of pounds — and dollars — have been lost.

Here are specifics from KING 5, a Western Washington news organization:

Fruit transporters are dumping millions of pounds of apples across Washington, leaving them to rot under hot sun. State officials call the dumps “historic.”

In Pateros, a hillside is covered with rows of Red Delicious apples. Trucks pull up several times a day, unloading thousands on top of sage brush and flowers.

Apple experts blame a combination of issues. This year, Washington growers produced the highest volume of apples on record. In addition, labor disputes at Washington ports left cargo sitting, sometimes for weeks.

The apples were unusable, even for processing.

According to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, some $95 million in sales has been lost.