Washington-based Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers says the state's apple growers and shippers have "stayed the course" despite personal loss from fires that had burned nearly one million acres as of Sept. 21.

In a release, Oneonta marketing director Scott Marboe said with the end of the 2015 apple harvest just a month down the road an business going strong, there was a heightened market for big fruit, which was in very short supply.

Due to the smaller sizing, volume is down this year at an anticipated 13 million boxes of apples, but Marboe said quality was still excellent.

"We set up a good amount of pre-packaged bag business ahead of time in anticipation of this smaller crop, and that is helping movement on those smaller sizes. Domestic retail partners have been doing great jobs at promoting," he said.

"Export demand is great in many countries," the executive added, highlighting that while domestic demand was good, foreign markets continued to expand.

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