Despite labor shortage and heatwave, state's apple crop could beat last year

The Washington State Tree Fruit Association is forecasting a crop of 124.8 million 40-pound boxes of apples during the 2021 harvest.
This would be an increase of 2.3% from the 122 million boxes harvested last year, but down 7.2% from 2019. The forecast is flexible and will continue to fluctuate throughout the harvest as conditions change. Last August’s initial 2020 forecast predicted a harvest of 134 million boxes of apples. In October, the number was adjusted to 120.6 million boxes. Ultimately, the 2020 crop produced 122 million boxes of apples reports www.wenatcheeworld.com

Tim Kovis, spokesman for the tree fruit association, said the forecast will continue to change over the coming months.
 
“Each growing season is different. So, crop sizes vary from year to year based on a whole litany of conditions and market forces,” Kovis said. “Harvest will go until the end of November, so there are a lot of variables that we will still have out there in the fall that could impact the crop sizes.”

These variables include hail that could bruise the fruit, wind damage and labor supply for growers. Higher than average temperatures will also impact the harvest, though Kovis said the full impact of the heat wave earlier this summer is still unknown.