Posts Tagged “Eastern apple shipments”
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.
Weather factors ranging from heat, drought, and a tropical storm among others this season, but overall none apparently were serious enough to greatly affect Eastern apple shipments as sapple loadings are underway.
Rice Fruit Co. of Gardners, PA started with Honeycrisp and ginger gold in mid-August, a week later than last year and a little lighter on volume Gala shipments started the third week of August with similar volumes to 2019.
United Apple Sales of Lyndonville, N.Y reports Western New York apple loadings have went well so far this season. While no bumper crops are predicted, the company is pleased with its Honeycrisp, gala and fuji. Its red delicious was describe as spotty or inconsistent.
United Apple Sales is one of the seven sales-agent partners of Crunch Time, which expects volume to increase by about 30 percent this year. This is happening thanks to additional acreage reaching full production for both SnapDragonn and Ruby Frost, both managed varieties grown only in New York.
The SnapDragon harvest started in New York’s Hudson Valley in early September, followed by the rest of the state a couple of weeks later. Ruby Frost will get underway in early to mid-October.
At Hess Bros. Fruit Co. of Lancaster, PA, the crop volume may be about the same or slightly less, but it’s a different balance of varieties for the company, which has growers in Virginia, Pennsylvania and western New York.
Although an early frost in spring that reduced size of crop a little bit, the firm has more Honeycrisp and gala and fuji than last year, even though it may have the same or little less overall. Virginia growers started harvesting and packing gala and Honeycrisp in mid-August.
Pennsylvania growers started with the same two varieties, plus ginger gold, about August 20. Hudson River Fruit Distributors of Milton, N.Y., started harvesting in late August and early September, said Alisha Albinder Camac, director of operations at her family’s company.
More than 350 miles northwest of the Hudson River Valley-based company, in western New York, volume to be up about 8 to 10 percent from 2019.
United Apple Sales completed harvest of paula red and ginger gold apples, which are early variety, in August.
During the first week of September, galas, mcintosh and early Honeycrisp started. By the end of September, cortland, Snapdragon and empire were underway. Red delicious harvesting began the first week of September, followed by fuji and Pink Lady.
While Washington produces five times more apples than anywhere else in the U.S., it’s no surprise that New York is the leader in volume on the East Coast.
Then come Pennsylvania and Virginia, followed by other states in the region.
For instance, 2020 total apple production nationwide is down 3.4 percent, compared to last season.
Forecast at 30.9 million cartons, New York’s apple production may drop only 1.6 percent compared to 2019. This is on par with the five-year average for volume said Cynthia Haskins.
The East Coast’s two other largest apple-producing states may have the steepest declines, however: Pennsylvania’s projected 10 million cartons is down 17.2 percent, and Virginia’s 3.8 million cartons is down 15.8 percent.
The USDA also reported its Eastern apple production forecast in pounds:
- New York with 1.30 billion pounds, compared to 1.32 billion pounds in 2019;
- Pennsylvania with 420 million pounds, compared to 507 million pounds in 2019; and
- Virginia with 160 million pounds, compared to 190 million pounds in 2019.
Despite record-breaking heat in July, 2019 eastern apple shipments are shaping up to be a strong and on par with previous years.
The New York Apple Association of Fishers, NY reports Empire State farmers are expecting to ship about some 31 million bushels this fall. Although is would be off compared to last year, it would be more than some previous seasonss.
New York state apple acreage has been holding steady, with more of a focus on newer varieties, including Honeycrisp, SnapDragon, Evercrisp and SweeTango. Many farmers have been transitioning out standard-size trees in favor of dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties. This results in more trees planted per acre, yielding more fruit per acre. The trees also reach fruit-bearing age faster.
Fowler Farms of Wocott, NY packs and ships 24 varieties of apples grown on 2,500 acres lining the shores of Lake Ontario in Wayne County, NY. Its varieties include the old standards Red Delicious, McIntosh, Jersey Mac, Empire and Raeburn, along with the newer varieties like Gala.
The company grows and ships the largest amount of Honeycrispin the Northeast, as wells as with SweeTango.
Fowler Farms also grows SnapDragon, and volume has doubled each of the past three years. – particularly with loadings destined for the Southeastern U.S..
Fowler Farms has its own nurseries, grows its own trees, packs and stores its own fruit, and even makes much of the equipment it uses to work its orchards.
The company reports the Northeastern 2019 apple crop looks great and is on par to match last year’s volume, with product coming from over 70 apple growers in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Virginia. Large increases in volume are expected with Gala, Honeycrisp and other newer varieties, including Evercrisp, RubyFrost and SnapDragon.
SweeTango is another one of the newer apple varieites on the market. The season is just kicking with SweeTango as one of the earlier premium apple varieties.
Just about everyone is in agreement there will be fewer U.S. apple shipments this season, which extends into the late summer of 2019. How many fewer, depends upon whom you ask.
The U.S. Apple Association is predicting 256.16 million, 42-pound cartons will be shipped. This is 6 percent below the USDA’s forecast, as well a 6 percent less than a year ago.
Western Apple Shipments
More specifically, the U.S. Apple Association is predicting this season’s Washington apple shipments will be at 155 million cartons, which is 10 percent below the USDA’s forecast of 171.4 million cartons. The U.S. Apple estimate for Washington is off 13 percent from 2017 shipments and 5 percent below the five-year average.
Washington growers reported that
The early harvested apple crop has fallen short of the expectations of Washington growers due to uneven bloom timing, which resulted in uneven maturity rates in orchards.
In total, Western U.S. apple shipments are estimated at 166.2 million cartons, off 9 percent from the USDA’s estimate and 12 percent below a year ago.
Midwest and Eastern Apple Shipments
The U.S. Apple Association and USDA figures pretty well match for Michigan and New York. The U.S. Apple estimates for New York is 31 million cartons, unchanged from the USDA estimate of 30.9 million cartons and the same as last year’s output.
Michigan apple shipments estimated U.S. Apple stand at 28 million cartons, unchanged from the USDA’s 27.96 million carton estimate. Michigan’s forecasted crop is 40 percent above a year ago and 8 percent higher than the five-year average.
Michigan accounts for about 90 percent of Midwest apple shipments.
BelleHarvest Fruit Sales Inc. of Belding, MI reports while this season’s forecast shows a nice rebound in volume, it falls short of the record 2016 apple shipments of 30.4 million cartons.
Fifty percent of the Michigan apple crop will consist of Fuji, Honeycrisp and gala, a number expected to increase in coming years.
The U.S. Apple estimate for the Midwest stands at 31.6 million cartons, virtually unchanged from the USDA estimate of 31.4 million cartons and up 35 percent from a year ago.
Eastern Apple Shipments
Crist Brothers Apple Orchards of Walden, NY points out various apple shipping regions in the East have similar volume to last year, which includes New England’s Vermont, which had some dry weather.
Virginia apple shipments have experienced excessive rains since last May and June, but is still expecting normal shipments.
Pennsylvania apple shipments are expected to total 12-million bushels, down 5 percent from last year.
New York apple shipments from Hudson Valley should be similar to the five-year average.
Western New York shipments are predicted to be about the same as a year ago.
The U.S. Apple estimate predicts Eastern U.S. apple shipments to total 58.4 million cartons, nearly unchanged from the USDA’s estimate of 58.7 million cartons and down only 1 percent from a year ago.
Here’s a national shipping round up on imported bananas, grapes and avocados from California, as well as Eastern apples.
Banana imports, particularly from Gulfport, MS, are expected to increase as fall kicks in and summer peaches, strawberries and other fruit shipments decline. Banana imports are generally expected to be stable for the next several months from such countries as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Colombia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Peru.
Among the larger banana handlers are Del Monte Fresh Produce NA Inc.; Turbana Corp. of Coral Gables, FL; and Dole Food Co. of Westlake Village, CA.
California Grape Shipments
Grape loadings in mid-October were similar to last year with about 79.8 million pounds of grapes shipped in the U.S. the week ending October 10th, up slightly from 79.1 million pounds in the same week in 2014. Season-to-date, about 2.34 billion pounds had been shipped through October 10th, up from 2.23 billion pounds last year.
Central San Joaquin Valley grape and other produce shipments – grossing about $5200 of Atlanta.
California Avocado Shipments
Avocado shipments were up significantly in mid-October with about 50.8 million pounds of avocados shipped in the U.S. in the week ending October 10th, up from 32.1 million pounds last year at the same time. Season-to-date volumes also are up, climbing from 706 million pounds through October 10th, 2014, to 795 million pounds this year.
Southern California avocado, citrus and vegetable shipments – grossing about $4300 to Chicago.
Eastern Apple Shipments
Apple shippers east of the Mississippi River are reporting brisk movement, in part, due to less volume expected out of Washington state this season.
As of mid-October, New York apple shipments were on schedule to meet, if not exceed, the preseason estimate of 27.5 million boxes. While no record shipments are being forecast, the volume is in line with the 5-year average for shipments.
Michigan also is having strong demand for its apples, and is running ahead of last year in terms of shipments. Harvest should be completed by the end of this month.
Western Michigan apple shipments – grossing about $800 to Chicago.
Hudson Valley New York apple shipments – grossing about $2400 to Orlando.