WSTFA scraps early-season apple crop estimates
The Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) will discontinue its early-season apple crop estimates, the industry body told Capital Press. According to the organization, its traditional August 1 forecast and storage reports in October and November will halt as they no longer accurately reflect the volume of fruit harvested and delivered to market.
This gap between projections and end-of-season results could result in inflated early estimates, which growers believe have harmed price negotiations with retailers in recent years.
WSTFA President Jon DeVaney said that the forecasts made more sense when every apple that met minimum grade standards would be harvested. With the current market oversupply, however, farmers must prioritize profitability, balancing the cost of picking fruit against fluctuating market prices.
“Economic factors are playing a greater and greater role in what fruit is actually brought to market,” he said.
Harvesting a truer apple crop estimate
The early projections might have led to misunderstandings in the marketplace, said DeVaney, as industry members frequently had to argue with retailers that the actual harvest would not be as large as the early estimates.
In an email to growers, the executive explained that variables such as fruit sizing, packouts, poor weather, and evolving growing conditions make accurate early-season estimates increasingly challenging.
To provide better data to the industry and marketplace, the WSTFA will release its first official apple crop report on December 1, while continuing to issue weekly reports on apple shipments.
DeVaney said there is less urgency to produce early apple crop estimates because the fruit can be stored for long periods before reaching grocery stores or foreign shores. Other fresh fruit segments remain highly time-sensitive, making it more important to keep the industry and retailers informed of the developing crop.
*All images are referential.
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