Day two of the 2020 Apple Crop Outlook & Marketing Conference has wrapped up, and the final estimate is in: The United States will produce 253.3 million bushels of apples in 2020.
That will be down 3 percent from 2019 and down 2 percent from the five-year average. USApple’s estimate is very close to the estimate made Aug. 12 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which was 253.5 million bushels.
The Western states will produce 186.5 million bushels, down 3 percent from last year but up 5 percent from the five-year average.
—Washington, as usual, will lead the way with 176 million bushels, down 3 percent from last year but up 5 percent from the five-year average.
—California will produce 6.4 million bushels, down 11 percent from 2019 but up 8 percent from the five-year average.
—Oregon will produce 3.8 million bushels, up 9 percent from 2019 and the same as the five-year average.
The Eastern states will produce 44.3 million bushels, down 8 percent from last year and down 9 percent from the five-year average.
—New York will lead the way with 32 million bushels, up 2 percent from last year and up 1 percent from the five-year average.
—Pennsylvania will produce 8.5 million bushels, down 30 percent from 2019 and down 41 percent from the five-year average.
—Virginia will produce 3.8 million bushels, down 16 percent from last year and down 25 percent from the five-year average.
The Midwest (based solely on Michigan) will produce 22.5 million bushels, same as 2019 but down 9 percent from the five-year average.
International estimates
Mexico will produce 19.8 million boxes of apples in 2020, down from 26 million boxes in 2019, one of the country’s largest crops ever. Chihuahua will produce 18.5 million boxes, with Coahuila, Durango and Puebla supplying the rest.
Canada will produce 18.7 million bushels of apples, up 3.5 percent from 2019. Ontario will supply 7.3 million bushels, down 2 percent from last year; Quebec will supply 5.5 million, up 6 percent from last year.
McIntosh, at 4.6 million bushels, is still the top variety in Canada but is down to 24.6 percent of the crop, whereas it was 35.4 percent five years ago. Gala, at 3.3 million bushels, is No. 2 with 17.6 percent of the crop now. Ambrosia is up to 2.1 million bushels and Honeycrisp is up to 1.7 million bushels.
Europe will produce 10.7 million tons of apples in 2020, 1 percent smaller than 2019 and 7 percent smaller than the five-year average. The top three producers will be Poland (3.4 million tons), Italy (2 million) and France (1.4 million).
Golden Delicious, still the top variety in Europe, will be just below 2 million tons, down 13 percent from last year. Gala, at 1.5 million tons, is up 4 percent from last year. Organic apples, at 511,000 tons, are getting close to 5 percent of total European production.
As for neighboring countries, Turkey will produce 3.7 million tons, Ukraine 1.2 million tons and Russia 920,000 tons.
—by Matt Milkovich
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