There are 21 percent more fresh apples remaining in storages to be shipped this season compared to a year ago
As of May 1 the total stood at 46.8 million 42-pound bushels, which is 21 percent greater than a year ago, and 18 percent more than the five-year average.
The U.S. Apple Association reports apples in storage for the processing market on May 1 totaled 18.4 million bushels, 18 percent more than year-ago levels, and 12 percent more than the five-year average.
While fewer fresh-market apples were moved out of storage in April, the COVID-19 pandemic did not lead to a significant drop in fresh sales from year-to-year, according to statistics in the apple association’s monthly MarketNews report.
U.S. fresh-apple movement in April was 11.99 million bushels, compared with 12.3 million in April 2019. In April 2018, 13.78 million bushels were shipped, leaving 43.95 million bushels of fresh apples in storage.
The states with the most fresh-market apples on May 1, in bushels, were:
Washington: 43.48 million; New York: 1.46 million; Michigan: 700,00; and Pennsylvania: 458,000.
The leading fresh-market varieties in storage on May 1, in bushels, were:
- Red delicious: 11.16 million
- Gala: 9.56 million
- Granny smith: 6.7 million
- Fujis: 6.13 million
- Golden: 3.72 million
- Honeycrisp: 3.19 million
- Cripps pink/Pink Lady: 2.38 million