The latest numbers on U.S. Fresh apples confirm that 2014's apple production was vast.As of January 1, U.S. fresh market apple holdings were 113.5 million bushels. That's 16 percent more than the holdings on January 1, 2014, when holdings were 91.1 million bushels. It's also 26 percent more than the five-year average of 97.1 million bushels.
The holdings reflect the large crops grown across several states last year. American growers and shippers have also had to compete with large holdings abroad, with many European countries having larger fresh apple holdings than in previous years. Germany's 2014 crop, for instance, grew by 37 percent from the previous year. Poland, one of the biggest apple growers in Europe, had holdings for 2014 that were 18 percent greater than holdings from the 2013 crop.