Season’s 1st U.S. Apple Forecast; Plus a Look at CA Sweet Corn and Kiwi Imports

Season’s 1st U.S. Apple Forecast; Plus a Look at CA Sweet Corn and Kiwi Imports
DSCN9666Apple shipments for the upcoming 2017 shipping season are projected to increase.  Meanwhile, here’s a glimpse at California sweet corn shipments, as well as kiwifruit imports.
Western state apple loadings are forecast higher, while and Midwest and Eastern apple shipments are seen to be down slightly compared to last season.  The first estimate of the 2017 apple crop projects volume to hit 255.6 million (42-pound) cartons, up 2 percent from the previous season.
The 2017 estimate was released recently at the  Premier Marketing Apple Forum in Syracuse, N.Y.    The Premier estimate shows the East and Midwest region to be 4.5 percent less than the 2016 crop.  However, apple production in the Western U.S. is forecast to be up 5 percent compared with 2016.
The estimate is the first for the 2017 U.S. apple crop.
Apple Shipper Expanding

Fowler Farms of Wolcott, NY is a grower/shipper of apples and  is expanding the packing capacity it has for fruit coming from its 2,500-acre, six-farm operation.  The company is now installing a new eight-lane grader/sorter system.  The multimillion-dollar system should be operational in time for the start of Fowler’s apple harvest beginning August 1st.

Founded in 1856, family-owned Fowler Farms is one of the largest vertically integrated apple farms in the U.S., offering 23 varieties of fresh apples and a line of refrigerated ciders.

Sweet Corn Shipments

Uesugi Farms of Gilroy, CA shipped its first conventional crop of the season from the Coachella Valley before Memorial Day weekend, and the company is now harvesting in Brentwood, CA.  That harvest will continue in Gilroy.   The operation has added white, yellow and bi-color organic sweet corn to its list of products.  The organic sweet corn will come in packages of four ears, and is being harvested in Wasco, CA., and harvests will then move to Northern California, the Coachella Valley and Mexico.

Kiwifruit Imports

New Zealand kiwifruit imports by the U.S. should increase overall as the season is already underway for green conventional and organic kiwifruit, as well as SunGold conventional and organic fruit.  Imports started last May and will continue through November.  Kiwifruit is a rapidly growing in popularity and the SunGold in particular is expected to increase by 40 percent over last season.

 

 

 

 

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