California apple production may be down relative to last year
California apple production may be down relative to last year
Production numbers for California apples for the 2007-08 season likely will come in a little lower than the 3.4 million boxes of fresh apples shipped during the 2006-07 year, according to Alex Ott, executive director of the California Apple Commission.
Mr. Ott said that estimates have this year's shipments at 3 million to 3.1 million boxes. The final tally for the 2005-06 season wrapped up at 3.6 million boxes; 2004-05 was 3.9 million boxes.
"We were delayed last year," Mr. Ott said. "Galas didn't begin until August." Though volume has slid incrementally year over year for the past several years, there is replanting and grafting of new varieties. Back in 1994-95, California fresh apple production came in at 10 million boxes, largely on the strength of the Granny Smith and Fuji varieties.
From the current crop, Mr. Ott projects Granny Smiths at 1.8 million boxes, Galas at 680,000 boxes, Fujis at 300,000 boxes, Pink Ladies at 180,000 boxes and Braeburns and other varieties at 45,000 boxes. The majority of the state's apples are grown in the San Joaquin Valley.
On Granny Smiths, the state of California overseas a starch-iodine test to determine when the green fruit is ready to harvest. As determined by the state, when a minimum maturity standard in a county is reached, that county is opened for harvesting. Typically, the state starts in the south and works its way north, a progression through counties such as Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Merced, San Joaquin and Contra Costa.
Gala apples were already harvesting when Mr. Ott spoke with The Produce News in late July. Last year Galas did not come on until Aug. 6 or 7.
"The good news is we get in and out of the market" before Washington state comes on heavily, Mr. Ott said. "We get in and get fresh Galas out. We can go six to eight weeks; sometimes we're done in three or four weeks. It depends on orders and supplies."
California apples had a good winter, a good bloom and a very good set, Mr. Ott said.
"We had 14 days of 100-degree heat in the last two weeks of July last year," Mr. Ott said. "This year has been a cool July, which is good news for us." Though California fresh apple volume continues to dip, there are positive signs for somewhat of a turnaround of the state's crop.
"We're seeing orchards that were removed are going back into apples," Mr. Ott said. "I've heard of other commodities coming out for apples, such as some grapes in the Central Valley." However, in the past year, orchard acreage taken out of production eclipses restored acreage by 100 or 200 acres.
The California Apple Commission plays a role in marketing, pest issues, research, education and compiling statistics and serves as a voice for the industry on issues.
Educating state and federal officials as well as consumers has been much of the Commissions recent focus, Mr. Ott said. That education extends to markets for California apples such as Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan and Central America. Though Japan has opened its market to Californian apples, its fumigation and cold shipping requirements do not work within the framework of California's short apple season window, Mr. Ott said. "California is a pick, pack and ship state."
California is the second-largest apple exporter after Washington state. Though volume was down last year to Taiwan, it is still the top foreign importer of California apples. A reverse trade mission with Mexican buyers coordinated by the Commission paid dividends: Mexico imported 60,000 boxes of California apples last year; the year prior, Mexico imported 12,000 boxes. "We take buyers right out to the orchards, right out to the trees," Mr. Ott said.
Where California apples stand out is in their high sugar content. "The warm heat gets the sugars going," Mr. Ott said. "We'll have to develop other varieties to get the red color out there." Growers in some parts of the state struggle to get Gala apples - a red apple variety - to gain the color consumers want. Growers also struggle to get Fuji apples to color well.
"California will never be a 10-million-box state again," Mr. Ott said, adding, however, "I do see California getting back to 4.5 million boxes for fresh apples." To do more production than that might be counterproductive in terms of pricing for apples.
"When [the market] gets good, we tend to overproduce and plant more than market demand," Mr. Ott said. California apples need to be marketed to the "supply and demand for the niche we fill," he said.
Roughly 33 percent of California fresh apples stays in California, 33 percent ships across the United States and 33 percent is exported.
"California is first in, first out in the United States" in fresh apples, Mr. Ott said. "We set the stage for the industry. There's not a lot of Galas from us, but there's good pricing."
In setting the stage for the apple season, California has a reputation to uphold, Mr. Ott said. "We don't want to make it bad for our neighbor," Washington state, he said.
(For more on the California apple deal, see the Aug. 13 issue of The Produce News.)
Mr. Ott said that estimates have this year's shipments at 3 million to 3.1 million boxes. The final tally for the 2005-06 season wrapped up at 3.6 million boxes; 2004-05 was 3.9 million boxes.
"We were delayed last year," Mr. Ott said. "Galas didn't begin until August." Though volume has slid incrementally year over year for the past several years, there is replanting and grafting of new varieties. Back in 1994-95, California fresh apple production came in at 10 million boxes, largely on the strength of the Granny Smith and Fuji varieties.
From the current crop, Mr. Ott projects Granny Smiths at 1.8 million boxes, Galas at 680,000 boxes, Fujis at 300,000 boxes, Pink Ladies at 180,000 boxes and Braeburns and other varieties at 45,000 boxes. The majority of the state's apples are grown in the San Joaquin Valley.
On Granny Smiths, the state of California overseas a starch-iodine test to determine when the green fruit is ready to harvest. As determined by the state, when a minimum maturity standard in a county is reached, that county is opened for harvesting. Typically, the state starts in the south and works its way north, a progression through counties such as Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Merced, San Joaquin and Contra Costa.
Gala apples were already harvesting when Mr. Ott spoke with The Produce News in late July. Last year Galas did not come on until Aug. 6 or 7.
"The good news is we get in and out of the market" before Washington state comes on heavily, Mr. Ott said. "We get in and get fresh Galas out. We can go six to eight weeks; sometimes we're done in three or four weeks. It depends on orders and supplies."
California apples had a good winter, a good bloom and a very good set, Mr. Ott said.
"We had 14 days of 100-degree heat in the last two weeks of July last year," Mr. Ott said. "This year has been a cool July, which is good news for us." Though California fresh apple volume continues to dip, there are positive signs for somewhat of a turnaround of the state's crop.
"We're seeing orchards that were removed are going back into apples," Mr. Ott said. "I've heard of other commodities coming out for apples, such as some grapes in the Central Valley." However, in the past year, orchard acreage taken out of production eclipses restored acreage by 100 or 200 acres.
The California Apple Commission plays a role in marketing, pest issues, research, education and compiling statistics and serves as a voice for the industry on issues.
Educating state and federal officials as well as consumers has been much of the Commissions recent focus, Mr. Ott said. That education extends to markets for California apples such as Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan and Central America. Though Japan has opened its market to Californian apples, its fumigation and cold shipping requirements do not work within the framework of California's short apple season window, Mr. Ott said. "California is a pick, pack and ship state."
California is the second-largest apple exporter after Washington state. Though volume was down last year to Taiwan, it is still the top foreign importer of California apples. A reverse trade mission with Mexican buyers coordinated by the Commission paid dividends: Mexico imported 60,000 boxes of California apples last year; the year prior, Mexico imported 12,000 boxes. "We take buyers right out to the orchards, right out to the trees," Mr. Ott said.
Where California apples stand out is in their high sugar content. "The warm heat gets the sugars going," Mr. Ott said. "We'll have to develop other varieties to get the red color out there." Growers in some parts of the state struggle to get Gala apples - a red apple variety - to gain the color consumers want. Growers also struggle to get Fuji apples to color well.
"California will never be a 10-million-box state again," Mr. Ott said, adding, however, "I do see California getting back to 4.5 million boxes for fresh apples." To do more production than that might be counterproductive in terms of pricing for apples.
"When [the market] gets good, we tend to overproduce and plant more than market demand," Mr. Ott said. California apples need to be marketed to the "supply and demand for the niche we fill," he said.
Roughly 33 percent of California fresh apples stays in California, 33 percent ships across the United States and 33 percent is exported.
"California is first in, first out in the United States" in fresh apples, Mr. Ott said. "We set the stage for the industry. There's not a lot of Galas from us, but there's good pricing."
In setting the stage for the apple season, California has a reputation to uphold, Mr. Ott said. "We don't want to make it bad for our neighbor," Washington state, he said.
(For more on the California apple deal, see the Aug. 13 issue of The Produce News.)
