Although Washington and Oregon receive much of the attention during apple season, the Northwest growing region also includes Idaho. Growers in the state have been harvesting for over a month now and have reported near-perfect conditions for most of the lead up to - and start of - harvest. The start date was close to the long term average, with the only struggle being very warm weather that came in late July and early August.
"We started harvesting during the third week of August with Gala apples," said Kelly Henggeler of Henggeler Packing Company in aptly named Fruitland, Idaho. "In May, conditions were excellent for pollination while June saw great weather for fruit growth. There was a warm stretch at the end of July when temperatures were around 100 degrees for a few days but by the end of August, we returned to cooler, more normal, temperatures."
Henggeler noted that the area where his orchards are located has a microclimate that is very conducive for growing apples with a good level of sweetness. "There is often a 40 degree temperature differential between day and night in the area we are located, which is at 2200 ft elevation," he explained. "This type of variation results in high BRIX and excellent coloring in the apples grown here."
Volume slightly down but adequate
Apple supplies in Idaho are just enough to meet demand at the moment. Quantity is there, but the sizing means that yields are falling a little shorter than the long term average. It's still better than last year, when sizing was notably smaller.
"We have adequate volume for our customers, but overall volume is probably a bit lower than normal," Henggeler observed. "There is plenty of fruit on the trees but sizing is about a size down from the typical profile. The apples have however sized up better than last year, and later season varieties like Fuji are looking good for sizing. We are currently finishing up with Galas and Honeycrisp, and getting in to our mid-season fruit like Reds and Golden delicious."
Market OK for now, expected to rise
Prices are holding firm, despite some discounting happening on a small amount of distressed fruit. Growers expect prices to climb as the season progresses. With cooler weather spreading over much of the US in the past week, heightened demand is expected as consumers get into the mood for fall produce.
"The market seems ok at the moment," Henggeler noted. "There is some fruit out there that became stressed from the short hot spell back in July. Some marketers are being more aggressive in their discounts as there is the concern for long term storage and therefore, they want to move this fruit. We should see the market strengthen into October as we start experiencing fall weather and demand consequently rises."
Henggeler concluded by adding that Idaho apple growers are pleased with the crop this year and expect a good season ahead. "We are always looking to try different things to enhance fruit quality and it manifests itself in seasons like this," he shared. "It's a very good crop in Idaho this year and we expect excellent fruit quality for the season."
For more information:
Kelly Henggeler
Henggeler Packing Co., Inc.
Tel: +1 (208) 452-4212
henggelerpkg@fmtc.com
www.henggelerpacking.com