December U.S. fresh apple inventories 7% below a year ago
U.S. fresh apple inventories in storage on Dec. 1 are down 7% compared with last year and off 14% compared with the five-year average, according to a new survey from the U.S. Apple Association.
Fresh apple holdings on Dec. 1 totaled 93.4 million (42-pound) cartons, 6.8% less than the inventories reported last year and 14.5% lower than the five-year average for Dec. 1.
The storage report captures more than 95% of the national storage capacity, according to the U.S. Apple Association.
Fresh apples in 42-pound cartons in storage on Dec. 1, with the percentage change compared with a year ago:
- Total varieties: 93.4 million, down 7%
- Ambrosia: 1.6 million, up 7%
- Cosmic Crisp: 5.4 million, up 60%
- Empire: 1.1 million, up 37%
- Fuji: 11.4 million, down 10%
- Gala: 19.6 million, up 3%
- Golden delicious: 3.8 million, down 16%
- Granny smith: 9.8 million, down 29%
- Honeycrisp: 9.4 million, down 7%
- Pink Lady/cripps pink: 5.9 million, down 20%
- Red delicious: 13.9 million, down 18%
- Other varieties: 9.05 million, up 16%
The survey said the total number of apples in storage on Dec. 1 was 134.2 million cartons, 7.1% less than last December’s total of 144.4 million cartons and 11.5% less than the five-year average for that date.
Processing apple holdings totaled 40.8 million cartons, 7.7% less than last year on Dec. 1.
