US apricot crop forecast to fall as Washington output drops

US apricot production is forecast at 36,500 tons in 2026, down 5% from last year, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.

California’s crop is expected to remain unchanged at 34,000 tons. The state will account for 93% of total US production.

The national decline is mainly linked to Washington, where output is forecast to fall by 41%, from 4,250 tons in 2025 to 2,500 tons this year.

The US harvest normally runs from mid-May to mid-August. Expected production in 2026 is less than half the annual average recorded in 2000–02, reflecting a long-term decline in bearing acreage.

source and graphics: ers.usda.gov