With the good supply of apples from Pennsylvania this season, some apple programs are on the cusp of going year-round. "There are some varieties that we are finished with but others we'll finish up right at the start of the new season," says Valerie Ramsburg of the Rice Fruit Company.
"Because everyone has an abundance of supply, we wish demand was a little bit more robust but it is good," Ramsburg says.
Rice Fruit is finishing up with Pink Lady and Granny Smith varieties–two types of apples the grower-shipper finds have gained popularity in the past few years particularly. Rice Fruit Company packs fresh crop Honeycrisp starting in August and pulls from Nova Scotia to supplement during the spring and summer months. In newer varieties, this year it had more volume on varieties such as Lemonade™, an apple Ramsburg says is proving popular with consumers, and even more volume is on the way in the coming years. "We also had increased volume on EverCrisp apples which is great because they store well and they're a fantastic springtime apple," says Ramsburg.
As for demand, it's good and steady. "Because everyone has an abundance of supply, we wish demand was a little bit more robust but it is good," she says.
Working together as an industry
With continuous reports that the industry has an increased volume of apples to move this year, how are growers-shippers feeling about the remaining supply that's available? "Everyone in the apple business–East Coast and West Coast–is putting their heads together to determine how we can increase consumption so that it's not November of the following year and you still have last year's crop," says Ramsburg. "There are a lot of good ideas floating around on how to do that, but there's nothing really solid just yet."
This year's apple bloom.
As for pricing, it's fairly similar to last year's pricing. "The unfortunate part is that costs for farms have gone up so if we can get pricing up, that would be great. However, it's a challenge because there's a price point where people stop buying product. So while we need to improve the pricing for growers, we have to be cognizant that consumers are under financial strain to buy groceries. It's something we're very aware of."
Looking ahead to the 2024-2025 crop, this year saw a longer bloom. "This is good because this means the blossoms have more time with pollinators," says Ramsburg, adding that the volume is expected to be similar to last year.
She does note that some varieties, such as Red Delicious and Gold Delicious, which had bumper crops, could see a lighter supply season. That said, those blocks also have younger trees coming into production.
For more information:
Valerie Ramsburg
Rice Fruit Company
[email protected]
www.ricefruit.com