More On The Apple Harvest

More On The Apple Harvest

More On The 2015 Apple Harvest. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.

Apples continue coming off trees here in Washington State. Several varieties including Goldens' , Gala's and Honey Crisp are pretty much done. Reds, Fuji's and others are currently harvesting but one variety tends to be the last one to be harvested according to Todd Fryhover, Washington Apple Commission.

FRYHOVER: Traditionally that's Cripps Pink. That's the latest variety that requires the most heat units so we'll see that variety grown in areas that are typically lower in elevation like Mattawa, the Tri-Cities, Lower Yakima Valley and it's usually harvest somewhere around the first of November, late October.

Fryhover says that the export market has been getting a lot of attention.

FRYHOVER: Well, it'll be an interesting year on the export side. We're coming off a record volume. We're just below 50-million cartons exported and when you think about that with the port issues that we experienced this last fall and winter, that's quite remarkable. The value of the U.S. currency is probably the biggest thing that is out there today that could cause us tremendous problems as far as the accessibility and affordability our production foreign countries.

But he feels the domestic market is ready and willing.

FRYHOVER: Domestic consumption, especially prolonged and pushed with these new varieties is increasing. Consumers are showing a preference for these new varieties so we expect that consumption number to continue which is going to take pressure off the export markets.

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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