Yakima, WA – There are still almost two more months of summer remaining; however there has been much planning and preparation that has been occurring to get the new crop of Washington apples ready for the fall, holiday season and beyond. Trees around the State are boasting many varieties of apples as they mature and ripen before harvest. The Official estimate will be announced August 10th however, currently the industry range of estimates are from a low of 110 to a high of 125 million boxes.
The new crop of apples is expecting to be harvested beginning the first week of August. As of this time, sizing looks to peak on 88’s/80’s and larger. For each of the past 20 years Domex Superfresh Growers has measured the size of fruit on the trees around the second week of July. This year’s fruit has been at a historically large size. The only larger recorded sizes were after Mt. St. Helens erupted and put down 4 inches of ash! The one thing that we all know in farming is that nothing is final until the fruit is off the tree and things can always change over the next 8 weeks, but at this point unless something much unexpected occurs, large sizes should be dominant.
Promotional volumes should occur approximately 14 days earlier this year which will provide for good Labor Day promotional opportunities. With the Northwest cherry crop potentially ending 14 days earlier than last year, this will open the door for the start of an ideal apple season. Regional crop availability looks to have rebounded with sizing leaning towards 100’s and smaller. Time will tell what Mother Nature eventually will yield.
There was a significant dollar contribution at retail from Washington apples this past season. As Washington apples filled in for short regional crops, Nielsen data revealed dollar sales for the September 2012 – December 2012 timeframe showed a 14% increase over the previous year. The September – April months saw a dollar increase of over 16% versus the previous year.
Domex Superfresh Growers® is an international fruit grower/shipper located in Yakima, Washington. We grow and market both conventional and organically grown apples, pears, cherries and apricots. Domex Superfresh Growers was built by the Kershaw family, farmers for over 100 years, to be a trusted gateway to the global marketplace. We provide market strategy and sales distribution for farming families who share the same ideals, values and priorities long held by Company owners, the Kershaw family; honesty, integrity and fiscal responsibility.
Source: Domex Superfresh Growers®