Overall loading opportunities should be up this season for Michigan apples, while the nation’s biggest storage onion region will have fewer onion shipments.
Apple Shipments
The Michigan apple industry set new shipping records for two consecutive weeks in October, loading 414,702 boxes of apples the week of October 12th.
During the week of October 5th, the Michigan shipped 411,973 boxes of apples. That record was broken the following week with 414,702 boxes. In October 2011, the industry set a shipment record of 378,933 the second week in October.
With 9.2 million total apple trees in commercial production on 36,500 acres, Michigan is the third-largest producer of apples in the U.S., and distributes apples to 26 states and 18 countries.
Onion Shipments
Onion shipments will likely be less from Idaho and eastern Oregon (Malhuer County) this year due to disease and weather-related factors. The region that produces about 25 percent of the nation’s storage onions.
Idaho and eastern Oregon farmers harvested 19,100 acres in 2012, down 1,400 acres from the previous year. Shipments this season are estimated to be similar to a year ago.
Idaho-eastern Oregon onions – grossing about $3500 to Chicago.
Michigan apples – about $3600 to Atlanta.