John Rice, president of Rice Fruit Co., which is located in Gardners, PA, told The Produce News that despite some weather-related problems to the company’s apple crop this year, the market has been good and prices are strong, and he is grateful for that.

“We won’t have one of our best years,” said Mr. Rice. “We are down by about 20 percent from last year, and 30 percent down from what we consider to be normal. It’s one of the shortest years we’ve had in several.”

“The quality and condition of our apples is very good this year,” Fred Hess, co-owner of Hess Bros. Fruit in Lancaster, PA, told The Produce News. “A few areas in Pennsylvania were hurt by late fall rains and the remnants of Hurricane Irene, and so they didn’t finish as well as they would have liked. But we were spared these factors. Our fruit quality is great, and the apples taste terrific. Movement is tremendous, and pricing is good. For those who have apples, it’s a very good time.”

Apple movement through the 2011 winter holiday season exceeded expectations, according to Scott Marboe, marketing director for Wenatchee, WA-based Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers.

Mr. Marboe told The Produce News in mid-December that demand going into the Christmas holidays “has been above expectations,” and he said, “we can’t seem to get the pipeline filled.”

He added that domestic support at retail “has been exceptional, and the demand from the overseas markets is strong as well in both price and movement.”

Consumer demand for Washington state apples has been outstanding this season, and Domex Superfresh Growers is keeping its retail partners’ shelves amply stocked. “We are just slightly ahead of last year, which is telling considering we got started two weeks late,” Marketing and Communications Manager Loren Queen told The Produce News. “Early demand and volumes have been incredible.”

This April, Borton & Sons Inc. will celebrate its centennial as a grower and shipper of apples from the Pacific Northwest. The company is headquartered in Yakima, WA.

“It is our 100-year anniversary, and we have a new office being built that we are hoping to be moving into by April,” said Lindsay Ehlis, part of the company’s sales and marketing team. “We are working on a 100-year-anniversary logo, a new brochure and much more.”

New York Apple Sales Inc., headquartered in Castleton, NY, is one of the larger and more geographically diverse sales agencies in New York state. Its growers and packing facilities are located in all of the major growing regions in New York, ensuring a consistent supply of quality fruit with greater packing and shipping flexibility.

Kaari Stannard, president of the cooperative, explained that New York Apple Sales is the marketing arm for Empire Fruit Growers Co-op.