Washington apple volume expected to decrease in..

The Washington Apple Commission is expecting the 2007-08 apple crop to be down approximately 3 percent when compared to 2006-07, which is expected to finish around 98.9 million boxes.
In 2007-08 the Red Delicious crop, which accounts for approximately 35 percent of total apple volume from Washington, is expected to be down approximately 5.9 million boxes due to cold spring weather and light return bloom. Good supplies of top grades are expected, and quality is good. Gala production is expected to increase by approximately 1.4 million boxes. Quality is expected to be good with a range of sizes available.
Golden Delicious volume is anticipated to increase by 546,000 boxes, with sizes in the 72 to 100 range. Last season, the variety was affected by russeting, and the crop was short as a result.
Hail damage to regions growing Fuji in 2006 affected tree blooms this season. The new crop is expected to be approximately 774,000 boxes shorter this season compared to last season.
Volume for new-crop Cameo, Jonagold and Braeburn is expected to be similar to 2006-07.
Production of Granny Smith is stable, and the volume in 2007-08 is expected to be approximately 14 million boxes, similar to last season.
If there are no weather impacts, Cripps Pink volume will be up by approximately 474,000 boxes this season.
Production of all organic varieties in Washington is projected to be approximately 3.2 million boxes for the coming season.
Charles Pomianek, director of the Wenatchee Valley Traffic Association, said that the 2006-07 crop is finishing in an orderly manner. "This last season, we hit benchmarks 52 weeks in a row," he told The Produce News. "We will have an extremely smooth transition."
As of Aug. 26, a total of 96.5 million boxes of apples for the 2006-07 crop had been shipped. Approximate statewide/districtwide apple movement was as follows: Red Delicious, 33.9 million boxes (Yakima: 23.9 million boxes; Wenatchee: 10.1 million boxes); Golden Delicious, 10.2 million boxes (Yakima: 5.8 million boxes; Wenatchee: 4.4 million boxes); Granny Smith, 13.8 million boxes (Yakima: 8.6 million boxes; Wenatchee: 5.2 million boxes); Fuji, 12.4 million boxes (Yakima: 7.6 million boxes; Wenatchee 4.8 million boxes); Gala, 15.9 million boxes (Yakima: 10.2 million boxes; Wenatchee: 5.7 million boxes); Braeburn, 3.5 million boxes (Yakima: 2.2 million boxes; Wenatchee: 1.3 million boxes); Jonagold, 1.2 million boxes (Yakima: 924,000 boxes; Wenatchee: 287,000 boxes); Cameo, 1.3 million boxes (Yakima: 688,000 boxes; Wenatchee: 626,000 boxes); Cripps Pink, 1.9 million boxes (Yakima: 1.2 million boxes; Wenatchee: 712,000 boxes); Other varieties, 2.3 million boxes (Yakima: 1.4 million boxes; Wenatchee: 889,000 boxes).
The shipment of 2006-07 apples is expected to finish at the end of September. Shipment of new crop early Goldens and Galas was already picking up during the latter part of August. By the end of the first week of September, approximately one million boxes of new crop apples had already been shipped.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state of Washington accounts for 58 percent of total apple production in the United States. Mr. Pomianek was asked how transportation issues are being dealt with by growers. "It did seem when I talked to other people that transportation wasn't a problem for anybody [last season]," he replied. "The loss of Amtrak hit some growers hard. But Railex is taking up some of the slack."
According to Mr. Pomianek, rail shipment accounts for approximately 3 percent of total crop movement.
He said some growers are developing in-house logistics departments, which become a value-added service to customers. "This may be a long-term shift for the future," he went on to say. "This is a way [for companies] to differentiate themselves."
Mr. Pomianek also indicated that greater control over the shipping process keeps product quality high. "Quality and service go a long way," he said.
(For more on Washington apples, see the Sept. 10 issue of The Produce News.)
09/12/2007