Washington state has seen an increase in its smaller apple crop this year
Farmers in Washington state have seen an increase in their crop of smaller apples which they hope will help them avoid the sell outs they had last year.
The bumper crop of smaller apples coming out of Washington should be a boon to the industry which was expecting much lower numbers after last year's disappointing yield.
The increased Washington crop also has seen a decreased freight on board (FOB) cost.
"When anyone comes along with 13 million more bushels than they thought, and you've got a marketing plan based on 13 million less, it changes things," Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association told The Packer. "We have seen a lowering f.o.b. cost out of Washington and lower transportation cost out of Washington, so their apples are moving all over the country."
At the end of last year, Washington was already seeing a much larger crop in apples than it had seen in 2007.
Experts predicted the 2008 figures would reach a record number of 112.7 million 40-pound boxes - almost 8 million above the previous year's record crop.
