Apple Harvest Update

Apple Harvest Update. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

October is National Apple Month and the 2015 apple harvest is in full swing. Todd Fryhover with the Washington Apple Commission says they are harvesting in earnest on most varieties.

FRYHOVER: We should be cleaned up on Gala’s as far as harvest is concerned. Golden Delicious in most cases is completed. There are a few locations that might be still doing a little bit of picking.The Honey Crisp is harvested for the most part and in the warehouse. Depending on the location and the elevation we’re harvesting Red’s, Granny’s and Fuji’s in some places as well.

Fryhover notes that those last three varieties make up a rather large part of the overall crop.

FRYHOVER: And then of course there’s many club varieties that are out there as well that have different harvest dates that are being harvested so we are in earnest making things happen and excited about the weather. When you can talk about a 40 degree swing; an 80 degree high today and a 40 degree low tomorrow morning. That’s absolutely perfect for coloration of this fruit.

The August estimate of about 125-million boxes may be off a bit.

FRYHOVER: That’s considerably down from the 140 to 142 on the 2014 crop. The first initial indications are that number might be a little bit high. Most people are thinking it’s going to be somewhere in the 120 number. That’s primarily for one reason and that’s sizing. The sizing is more normal to maybe half a size smaller than normal.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.