In the year of the coronavirus, Michigan’s apple industry anticipates a healthy crop.
By mid-August, the fruit on the trees was ripening on schedule, and growers anticipate a crop that yields a volume near the state’s typical 25 million-bushel harvest.
“Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, so many events and traditions have been cancelled, but nature doesn’t get cancelled,” said Diane Smith, executive director of the Lansing-based Michigan Apple Committee.
“Michigan’s apple growers have continued to work through the crisis and apples continue to grow. We are hearing the crop looks good.”
Early varieties, such as paula red and ginger gold, were set for harvest around Aug. 25 and Aug. 27. Gala — the most widely grown variety in the U.S. — is expected to start Sept. 8, with Honeycrisp following about Sept. 18.
Smith said the timing was comparable to 2019.
The apple committee estimates Michigan’s apple acreage at 34,500.
Crop volume should at least match last year’s, said Don Armock, president of Sparta, Mich.-based grower-shipper Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc.
But, he said, there’s reason to hope for a better year in 2020, noting that, “depending upon packouts, this has the potential to be a record year on Honeycrisp, due to bigger crop on the tree and new bearing surface as young plantings continue to mature.”
On Aug. 22, the U.S. Apple Association released an estimate of 22.5 million cartons of apples from Michigan this season, 2.7% above the USDA’s August estimate, unchanged from a year ago and 8% below the five-year average.
Cold snap in spring
Cold weather early in the growing season affected a couple of varieties across Michigan, said Brian Coates, vice president of sales and business development with Sparta, Mich.-based grower-shipper Applewood Fresh Growers LLC.
“Freeze in the spring caused some damage in certain parts of the state, with red delicious and jonagold affected the most,” he said, noting there was “very little hail damage at this time.”
On the other hand, the fruit was sizing “larger than normal,” he said.
Applewood Fresh began its season Aug. 17, with Rave harvest underway and SweetTangos following a week later, Coates said.
Coates hesitated to make any market predictions, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Hard to tell what the market will do, with the pandemic impacts,” he said.
“Retail business continues to be strong on many varieties. Will have to see how retailers go to market with the new crop and how robust their apple lineup is. That will impact markets.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of Aug. 12, cartons of tray-pack extra fancy gala apples from California’s San Joaquin Valley were $36.95-42.95 for sizes 72, 80 and 88; $28.95-33.95, 100; and $26.95-30.95, 113. A year earlier, the same product was $36.95-42.90 for size 72; $30-42.90, 80 and 88; $26-34.90, 100; and $24-33.90, 113.
For most shippers, the Michigan apple deal should run until mid-July 2021, Coates said.
It’s a “pretty manageable crop,” although there likely will be “headwinds in the marketing of this crop,” due to carryover of the 2019 crop in other areas of the country and the impact on exports with retaliatory tariffs, as well as the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, Armock said.
The cold-related damage likely was limited to orchards in southern Michigan but still will leave a mark on the state’s total apple volume, said Chuck Yow, director of U.S. sales and business development with Comstock Park, Mich.-based grower-shipper Michigan Fresh Marketing LLC.
“That will probably reduce the state crop by 10%,” Yow said.
Playing catch-up
Timely rains and cool days in the summer, however, aided the crop, Yow said.
“Sizing up here is going very well,” he said.
“You make up the difference — the larger the fruit, the more boxes you have, so we’re predicting pretty much even to very slight decline in volume. The cool weather will help with the color, as well.”
Markets likely will be even with last year, Yow said.
“We’re probably looking at same battle we faced last year with pricing,” he said.
“We do know Pennsylvania is down 26% on its total crop. So, from an Eastern standpoint, we’re optimistic markets will be a little bit better. Washington has more fruit this year than last. Overall, they’re looking at 145 million (bushels), compared to 170 million last year.”
Traverse City, Mich.-based North Bay Produce Inc. was predicting a timely start, said Ken Korson, apple and asparagus category manager.
“We were going to be up to two weeks late because we had a late bloom, but with the rain and heat we’ve had this summer, we’ve picked up that ground and should have a normal start,” Korson said.
Armock agreed weather was a positive influence this year.
“We have had an excellent growing season with record sunshine and somewhat-warmer-than-normal temperatures,” he said.
“The crop is clean and, due to a fast bloom period, our on-tree fruit maturity is consistent.”
A cold spate in early May was the only hurdle, Armock said.
“Our only production challenge thus far this season was a series of cold temperatures pre-bloom, which damaged the crop in one region, somewhat reducing potential,” said Armock, whose company has apples from numerous regions along the length of the Lake Michigan shore.
The two- to three-week paula red and ginger gold harvest was to get underway Aug. 24-26, with the first early galas expected Aug. 27-29, Korson said.
“The volume will come around Sept. 4-7 on galas; then, a couple of days later, we start mcintoshes and goldens and roll right into Honeycrisp,” he said.
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