Washington apple harvest could go on into November

An updated estimate of the Washington fresh apple crop is adding two million 40-pound boxes because of growth in the state’s gala and golden delicious production.

 

The Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association, Yakima, released an updated total fresh apple crop estimate at 101.6 million boxes, up from an August forecast of 99.6 million.

The U.S. Apple Association, Vienna, Va., released a projection of 108 million total boxes of apples coming from the Western U.S., which is dominated by Washington, on Aug. 21. That number was 2 million lower than earlier estimates, mainly because of a cold bloom period in Washington that reduced the size of many apples.

 

“We’ve just had such great growing weather, I think the apples just got some size we didn’t think would happen,” said Charles Pomianek, executive director of the Wenatchee Valley Traffic Association, Wenatchee.

Pomianek said the October estimate took Washington’s expected gala apple production up from 18.9 million to almost 19.6 million boxes, and expected golden delicious production up from 11.3 million to almost 12.2 million boxes.

 

The state is about 10 days to two weeks later than it was last year, and Pomianek expects harvest to last until the end of October, at least, and possibly a week into November with late varieties.

 

The Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association and the Wenatchee Valley Traffic Association work together to form estimates and report production from the entire state, Pomianek said.