Agronometrics in Charts: 2022 : Apples in Review
By
| 2 January 2023
In this installment of the ‘Agronometrics In Charts’ series, Sarah Ilyas reviews the 2022 apple season and takes a look at what 2023 might have in store for apples in the US. Each week the series looks at a different horticultural commodity, focusing on a specific origin or topic visualizing the market factors that are driving change.
The fresh apple inventory in the United States plummeted by 6.8% this season, according to a study by the industry association, USApple. By Dec.1, volumes totaled 93.4 million bushels, representing a 14.5% decrease compared to the December five-year average. Exports are forecast down 53,000 tons to 670,000 for a third straight year of declines on reduced Washington output. Imports are expected up 10,000 tons to 115,000 on higher shipments from New Zealand. According to the USDA’s estimate, U.S. 2022-23 production is expected to rise 158,000 tons to 4.5 million.
Washington
The new apple plantings in Washington state are smaller than average, resulting in a tight supply of desired sizes. The state ranks number one in apple production, accounting for 64 percent of the U.S. production this year, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Heat waves experienced at the height of summer hampered bud development in certain apple varieties. Additionally, frigid weather in the spring led to poor pollination and a limited blossom-thinning window, which led to smaller fruit and lower volumes. The crop is estimated to be down 22 million cases this year compared to last year, from 122.3 million cases to 99.8 million. “It’s probably the smallest crop in eight years,” says Don Roper of Honeybear Marketing.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
Michigan
In August, the Michigan Apple Committee announced a crop estimate of a whopping 29.5 million bushels. According to the USDA, Michigan apple growers produced 15.6 million bushels in 2021. According to informal estimates, 34-38 million bushels in volume are expected for the 2022-23 season. The trees had not been subjected to the stress of massive harvests in a long time, which contributed to the 2022 harvest’s success. “There is short supply, high demand and obviously there are regional supplies. I think both Michigan and New York both have pretty decent crops so it’s really about how we can stay in as long as we can and take advantage of different varieties that have grown in production,” says Briana Shales, marketing director, for Stemilt Growers LLC, Wenatchee, WA.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
New York
The New York apple crop for 2022–2023 appears to be higher than the previous year. “Last year we were probably down around 15 percent. But it looks like there will be plenty of apples in all size ranges for all types of packaging this season. Also with Washington’s crop being down, there’s probably a bit more opportunity, especially at the end of the season. Washington is the big dog but on the East Coast, in the last few years, especially with the higher fuel costs, there’s been a larger freight advantage than there is normally,” says Tim Mansfield of Sun Orchard Fruit Co.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
Pricing this season has been trending higher compared to the past five seasons, on average. “That’s with the volumes down in the West and the general push among the apple producers for higher prices. Growers costs and packers costs have all gone way up,” says Mansfield.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
To learn more take a look at our most read apple stories this year:
1. USDA predicts bigger U.S. apple crop for 2022
2. Rochelle Bohm Details CMI Orchards’ Apple Insights on the Shifting Market and Season Outlook
3. 2022 Southern Hemisphere apple crop forecast suggests a decrease of 7%
4. Agronometrics in Charts: Pacific Northwest’s Apples Bear the Brunt
5. Stemilt shows Cosmic Crisp apples had strong spring
In our ‘In Charts’ series, we work to tell some of the stories that are moving the industry. Feel free to take a look at the other articles by clicking here.
All pricing for domestic US produce represents the spot market at Shipping Point (i.e. packing house/climate controlled warehouse, etc.). For imported fruit, the pricing data represents the spot market at Port of Entry.
You can keep track of the markets daily through Agronometrics, a data visualization tool built to help the industry make sense of the huge amounts of data that professionals need to access to make informed decisions.If you found the information and the charts from this article useful, feel free to visit us at www.agronometrics.com where you can easily access these same graphs, or explore the other 21 commodities we currently track.
Written by: Sarah Ilyas
Written by: Sarah Ilyas
