Trend for Fewer Apple Shipments this Season Continues

Trend for Fewer Apple Shipments this Season Continues


A trend of fewer apple shipments this season continues. There were 78.9 million (42-pound) bushels of apples remaining in storage for the fresh market as of February 1st. This is 12 percent lower than at the same time last year, and 7 percent lower than the 5-year average.

The apple industry had 78.9 million (42-pound) bushels of fresh-market apples in storage as of Feb. 1, 12% less than the same time in 2018, and 7% off the five-year average.

Apples headed to the processing market are seeing similar drops, with 14 percent less fruit on February 1st than at the same time in 2018, with a drop of 13 percent compared to the 5-year average, according to the U.S. Apple Association’s monthly Market News report.

The top fresh-market varieties on February 1st (and unchanged from five-year average), according to the apple association, were:

  • Red delicious — 21.65 million bushels (-19 percent);
  • Gala — 15.48 million bushels (4 percent);
  • Fuji — 10.15 million bushels (12 percent);
  • Granny smith — 8.52 million bushels (-20 percent);
  • Honeycrisp — 6.54 million bushels (123 percent);
  • Cripps pink/Pink Lady — 4.11 million bushels (18 percent); and
  • Golden delicious — 3.61 million bushels (-47 percent)

Regional fresh apple holdings for February 1st were (in bushels):

  • Northeast — 5.67 million;
  • Southeast — 354,000;
  • Midwest — 2.96 million;
  • Southwest — 168,500; and
  • Northwest — 78.87 million.

Washington apples – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.