Despite an early frost in August in Pennsylvania and New York, Eastern apple shippers say the fruit came through relatively unscathed are optimistic for the new season.
Hess Bros. Fruit Co, of Lancaster, PA like the way the crop is shaping up and expects it to be similar to last year.
Niagara Fresh Fruit Co., in Burt, N.Y., which is near Buffalo, N.Y., reports the crop in western New York should be much better than the 2023 crop when a late freeze hit the fruit already set and affected the finish of the final crop.
The company is expecting an average crop. Western New York experienced a good amount of rain, which will help with both fruit size and crop size.
The New York Apple Association of Fishers, NY, notes the warm temperatures are resulting in harvest around the state being about six or seven days ahead of normal. The state’s growers will produce about 32,500 to 32,700 bushels of apples this year, which is about 2.5 million more bushels than last year.
New York apple growers grow about 32 varieties commercially and start the season in mid-August with ginger gold, paula red, jonamac, zestar and then followed by mcintosh, gala, honeycrisp, cortland, macoun, empire and red delicious. Club varieties SweeTango, SnapDragon RubyFrost and EverCrisp join Rome, braeburn and fuji are later in the harvest season, which ends in November.
Rice Fruit Co. of Gardners, PA reports harvest began in August for Wildfire gala, honeycrisp and ginger gold in the Keystone State.