News

Michigan apple harvest nearly complete

Apple harvest in one of the nation’s top producing states is wrapping up with a slightly smaller sized crop.

Diane Smith with the Michigan Apple Committee tells Brownfield growers are expected to harvest a little less than their August estimate of 28 million bushels.  “We had a really hot, dry summer and normally what that means is that we get much larger apples, but they didn’t quite size up exactly like we were thinking.”

Smith says the 2018 harvest will still be at least 10 percent larger than average partly because of more high-density plantings.  “Being able to get more trees per acre, they’re able to produce a lot more apples here in the state.  I think we’ll continue to see our production increase.”

She says prices have remained relatively steady for the fall, but growers are closely watching how trade disputes could impact markets.

AUDIO: Interview with Diane Smith