Apple harvest should be big but not record
Cheryl Schweizer Apples, including these in an orchard near Moses Lake, have a few weeks to go before they’re ready for harvest. The crop forecast for 2017 is about 130.9 million boxes, a big crop but not a record.
QUINCY — With harvest approaching – although it'll be a little later than 2016 – the Washington State Tree Fruit Association is forecasting a big but not record-breaking crop for 2017.
The 2017 crop is projected to be about 130.9 million boxes in 2017, down from 132.9 million boxes in 2016, about 1.2 percent smaller. Apple crops are measured by standard 40-pound boxes.
The state record is about 142 million boxes harvested in 2014.
Chilly spring weather pushed bloom dates closer to their historical average, said Tianna DuPont, tree fruit specialist for WSU Chelan-Douglas County Extension in Wenatchee. Bloom dates determine harvest dates, so harvest will be closer to historical averages.
Harvest, as everybody involved in the apple business knows, usually begins in late August, ramping up through September and October and ending in early November. One of the pieces of good news in a traditional harvest year is that there’s less chance of very hot weather. The bad news, however, is there’s an increased chance of frost damage at the end of the season.
And between hot August afternoons and cold November mornings, there’s the chance of hail and frost and rain delays and various forms of weather that are inhospitable to apples and a smooth harvest. For that reason the August harvest forecast is subject to change, according to a WSTFA press release.
The many varieties of Red Delicious have been the king in Washington orchards since World War II, but its demise has been forecast for a couple of decades now. It has slipped from its dominant position in the state, but it still accounts for about 24 percent of total production in Washington. Galas are making a run at Reds, accounting for about 22.5 percent of production in 2017, followed by Fujis at 14 percent and Granny Smith at 13 percent. Honeycrisp make up about 8 percent of the total crop, and Cripps Pink make up about 5 percent of the total.
The forecast is based on a survey of WSTFA members, and “represents a best estimate of the total volume of apples that will eventually be packed and sold on the fresh market,” according to the WSTFA press release. The estimates don’t include apples sent to processors.