Everything about apples is on an even keel, at least for now.
With all the U.S. crop under cover, it is just a matter of watching marketers, retailers and consumers do their jobs.
From The Packer’s recent story, the U.S. Apple Association reported the U.S. fresh-market apple holdings on Dec. 1 were 13.1% less than a year ago, at 102.8 million 42-pound bushels, according to the U.S. Apple Association’s Market News report.
Fresh apples in storage were 9.4% down from the five-year average of 113.5 million bushels, according to the report. The Dec. 1 fresh market apple holdings were about the same as in 2018.
Fresh apple holdings on Dec. 1, in millions of bushels, and percentage of the five-year average, were:
- Gala: 20.93, -6%
- Red delicious: 19.4, -34%
- Fuji: 14.72, 7%
- Honeycrisp: 12.32, 53%
- Granny smith: 11.32; -16%
- Cripps pink (Pink Lady): 5.93, 13%
- Golden delicious, 4.47, -36%
Even with the steady nature of apples, there are turns and swings, and some of the charts I have put together show some of those.
The chart that details selected retail promotions by variety certainly shows the dominance of Honeycrisp in retail promotions, in addition to the premium Honeycrisp fruit commands with f.o.b. and retail pricing.
Certainly lower storage inventories compared with last year at the same time point to the potential for rising prices later in the season.
