Total apple production for 2017 was estimated at 102.0 million pounds (2.43 million, 42 lb. bushels), up 28 percent, or 22.0 million pounds from 2016. Utilized production totaled 101.0 million pounds, up 21.2 million pounds from 2016. Apples for fresh market totaled 36.0 million pounds, up 9.2 million pounds from 2016. Apples for processing accounted for 65.0 million pounds of the 2017 crop, this is
12 million pounds more than the 2016 crop.
Bearing acreage of apples totaled 4,800 acres in 2017, up 200 acres from 2016. The yield per acre was 21,300 pounds, 3,900 pounds per acre more than in 2016. The yield was based on total production, which includes unharvested production and fruit harvested but not sold due to marketing conditions. Based on utilized production, West Virginia ranks 8th in the nation for apple production.
United States – The U.S. peach production in 2017 was estimated at 696,650 tons, down 12percent from the 2016 estimate of 795,630 tons. Of this production, 690,100 tons were utilized, down11 percent from 2016. Bearing acreage of peaches totaled 92,750 acres, down 1,320 acres from 2016. Value of utilized production totaled $599.3 million, down 5 percent from the 2016 total. The average price received for peaches was $868.00 per ton, up $61.00 per ton from the 2016 price.
Total apple production for 2017 is estimated at 11.4 billion pounds, up less than 1 percent from the 2016 total. Utilized production in 2017 totaled 11.1 billion pounds, up 1 percent from 2016. Bearing acreage was estimated at 323,000, down slightly from the previous year. The average yield was 35,300 pounds per acre, up 200 pounds from the previous year. Of the total utilized production, 7.71 billion pounds were for the fresh market and 3.35 billion pounds were for processing. The value of the crop totaled $3.55 billion, up 3 percent from the previous season, with an average annual price of 32.1 cents per pound.