Volume is expected to be a little lower than 2023 for Michigan apple shipments.
The Wolverine State, produced nearly 32 million bushels — or 1.34 billion pounds — of apples in 2023, according to the USDA.
The official crop estimate for this year will be announced at the USApple Outlook conference in Chicago on Aug. 16, however, Diane Smith, executive director of the Lansing-based Michigan Apple Committee, said it looks like the state’s growers will have another good-sized crop, “but it likely won’t reach 30 million bushels.”
BelleHarvest Sales Inc. of Belding, MI launched its season about 10 days ahead of last year with early varieties paula reds and golden delicious. Picking started the first week of August, and shipping got underway the following week.
BelleHarvest expects to have a slightly larger crop than last year on most of its 15 varieties.
The harvest at North Bay Produce of Traverse City, MI, started two weeks earlier than usual because of warm weather and more rain than normal.
North Bay ships 18 varieties of apples with gala, Honeycrisp, red delicious, fuji and mcintosh, among the most popular. EverCrisp, the last variety to be picked, is an up-and-coming variety.
The company notes harvest usually continues into mid-October, but likely will finish around the first of the month because of the earlier start.
This season’s apple harvest at Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc., Sparta, MI got underway August 9 and volume should be about the same as last year.
Riveridge is reporting good quality with a normal range of sizes on its Honeycrisp, gala, fuji and other varieties.