Thanks to a spring frost, New York apple shipments are expected to be down a bit this season, but growers are saying the small loss in volume should be replaced with larger sized fruit.
Although no official forecast on volume has been released yet, in an average year New York produces about 29. million bushels of apples, with about 15 to 16 million bushels going to the fresh market.
Hudson Valley growers see lower yields due to spring weather, while western orchards are showing a slightly above-average-size crop, according to the New York Apple Association (NYAA).
Concerning the processing market, Wayne County is running slightly below average, the NYAA reports.
The Hudson Valley harvest gets underway in mid-August and should continue with later varieties into early November.
Two of Clubs Orchards, located in New York’s Lake Ontario region (Appleton, NY), estimates the fresh crop could finish about 15 percent smaller than last year on frost-induced damage. However, larger fruit that will help offset lower yields.
Two of Clubs Orchards reports farm operations in the area have experienced a relatively normal season despite above-average rainfall, which luckily did not prompt much disease pressure.