Demand continues to be strong for Ontario apples. "Inventory is unusually low," says Chris Hedges, chair of the Ontario Apple Growers. "Certainly, once the U.S. tariff rhetoric started in the spring, domestic demand for apples started climbing, and we saw increased movement of fruit since then. I'm encouraged by the fact that we're going to come into this 2025-2026 crop with what I would say is no inventory."
The upcoming 2025-2026 crop has seen a cool, wet spring in terms of growing conditions, which means it's taking longer than usual to get an idea as to what the overall crop size would be. "So far, though, it looks promising to be an excellent crop. There are no signs of any frost damage around the province or hail damage," says Hedges.
© Ontario Apple Growers
As for the bloom, it did take longer than usual. In periods of cooler weather, the flowers open and just stay open longer, while when it's warmer, bloom happens faster, and it's over faster.
On varieties, the industry in Ontario has largely been planting Gala, Honeycrisp, and Ambrosia apples. "I think we'll just continue to see a greater number of each of those three varieties hitting the market each year for probably the next five years," says Hedges.
Varietal notes
While it depends on the weather, generally, harvest for apples in Ontario begins in the middle of August on varieties such as Paula Red or Rave. Then the Ginger Gold harvest starts around the first week of September, followed by Gala. Harvest often goes until the first or second week of November, when growers are picking late-season apple varieties such as Fuji or EverCrisp.
© Ontario Apple Growers
So, where might this leave pricing? "Pricing is probably being set around now for the 2025 crop, and that pricing carries through until the end of the crop," says Hedges. "That would have been the same with the 2024 crop. Pricing off of the 2023 crop was down, and we probably did try and claw back some of that in 2024. However, I don't think we got back as far as we could have or should have."
After all, Ontario apple growers hope to see the strength in demand they're experiencing now continue. "While Ontario provides a product the consumer wants, there's a lot of choice there for them," says Hedges. "Also, money for some consumers is tighter than it has been historically, with people renewing mortgages or experiencing uncertainty in the job market, and more. So people are tightening their grocery store spend, though in the produce aisle, the apple category provides tremendous value to the consumer on a per-pound basis, so we're confident demand will stay strong."
For more information:
Chris Hedges
Ontario Apple Growers
Tel: +1 (519) 428-4550
[email protected]
Kelly Ciceran
Ontario Apple Growers
Tel: +1 (905) 688-0990
[email protected]
www.onapples.com
