Washington apple crop up big for 2023, grower group says

Save room in the shopping cart for more Washington apples.

The 2023 fresh apple crop in Washington state is forecast at 28% above the 2022 edition.

The Yakima, Wash.-based Washington State Tree Fruit Association has estimated the state’s fresh crop at just over 134 million standard 40-pound boxes of fresh apples, a 28.8% increase from 2022’s 104.3 million boxes, according to a news release.

This year’s abundant apple crop contrasts with a small Washington state apple crop in 2022 when snow inhibited pollination during bloom, the release said.

This year moderate weather has helped growers deliver a healthy crop much closer (5% above) the previous six-year average production, according to the release. The record crop was in 2014-15 when the state produced 141.8 million fresh boxes.

“There is a lot of excitement as we are seeing a more normal harvest and excellent fruit quality this year," WSTFA President Jon DeVaney said in the release. “A moderate spring and a warm early summer created near-perfect growing conditions, so our domestic and foreign customers are going to see great size, color and overall good quality in our apples. The harvest is just getting underway now, and our growers look forward to bringing in a great harvest that will benefit consumers around the state, country and world."

Washington fob apple prices in early August averaged $33.42 per carton, up from $27.36 per carton a year ago and up from $29.96 per carton two years ago.

Related: Another big Michigan apple crop on tap

According to the USDA retail report, just 9,998 retail stores tracked in the U.S. were promoting apples in early August, down from 22,092 stores last year and down from 14,860 stores two years ago. Once harvest gains momentum, the larger crop should give retailers more promotion opportunities compared with the 2022-23 crop.

Good size distribution and high quality is expected across all varietals, the release said. The forecast also shows the continued trend of varietal diversification in Washington, including Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, Envy and Cosmic Crisp. Those four varieties alone represent more than a quarter of forecast production, the release said.

In addition, the WSTFA forecast indicates a strong production in five popular varietals in the state.

Gala, the largest part of the harvest, is projected at 19.8%. Honeycrisp is pegged at 14.6%, red delicious at 13%, granny smith at 13.8% and fuji at 11.7% of total fresh production. 

Cosmic Crisp, a proprietary varietal grown only in Washington state, continues to grow in its share of the total crop, with 5.9% of the harvest, according to the release. This reflects the ongoing diversification of the state’s apple production to serve a diverse and growing customer base.

Twenty percent of the harvest was exported in 2022, down from the five-year average of 28% due to lower overall production in 2022, the release said.

Related: New York apples are going big this fall

The organic apple market continues to grow, and Washington also leads the nation in the production of organic apples, the release said. The organic forecast for 2023 is 21 million boxes, or 15.7% of the total harvest, according to the release.

Not all organic production is packed and marketed as organic, the release said.

"Our growers have a long tradition of meeting consumer demand, and they are proving it again by producing more than 93% of the country’s organic apple output," DeVaney said in the release.

Apple harvest typically begins in August and continues into November; as a result, this forecast is still subject to several months of variable weather, which can affect the final harvest total, the release said.

“It’s great for the state and for consumers around that world that our growers have rebounded from a down year with a strong, healthy crop in 2023,” Derek Sandison, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said in the release. “More importantly, thanks to moderate weather the quality of apples is exceptionally high. Apples are Washington state’s calling card to every corner of the globe. This year, we are literally putting our best crop forward and that’s good for our state economy, our workforce, and our growers.”

The August forecast is based on a survey of WSTFA members and represents the best estimate of the total volume of apples that will eventually be packed and sold on the fresh market (excluding product sent to processors).