Apple prices r
Market Watch
By Judie Steeves
Washington c
ebound after slow start
large
rop not as
is actually six per cent lower than the
This year’s Washington State crop
foreca
a
s
s
t

;
h
B
a
.
d
C
b
.
e
cr
e
o
n
l
c
ast year’s, and that figure could still
smaller but quali
p
ty
a
h
ls
ig
o
h.
report from Washington, noted
hange with the November storage
T
Abbott.
the south, with a large number of
Because it’s a fractured industry in
he bad news is that prices for
independent packing facilities and
apples this season opened 17
sellers, figures are not as accurate
and aren’t compiled in the same way
last year.
per cent below the same time
they would be where the industry is
integrated, he explained.
improved during the first few
The good news is that they had
varieties such as Fuji are getting
months, and prices of Galas had
better prices, likely because there’s can mean the market is turning a
So, the November storage report
stabilized by mid-November.
19 per cent less in storage this year. corner, if that report indicates there
Even more good news is that the
There’s 18 per cent fewer Goldens, is less fruit remaining than had been
crop in Washington State, forecast to
too and the price is good, he noted. forecast.
be even higher than last year’s crop
of 108 million cartons, is actually
prices are not as good as they have
Sales of Spartans are also good, but
pushing prices lower at the wholesale
Most of last year was spent
closer to 102 million cartons—still
been in the past. level through the storage season
huge—but not quite as huge.
moving more fruit to market again,
This year, Washington State is because of the size of the crop.
million cartons, a more saleable
The previous year’s crop was 99
likely because of lower prices, so
quantity.
more fruit is being bought, Abbott
still being sold this fall when the new
That crop from Washington was
speculated.
season’s crop came on the market, a
factor that does no one in the market
says the B.C. crop is also a little
Adrian Abbott of B.C. Tree Fruits
lower than had been forecast, at 3.2
outlook too.
But, that’s good news for the any favours.
million cartons, in part because of
damage from the Thanksgiving
were only 15 per cent below the
By mid-November prices overall the other direction against the push
It’s hard to turn the tide to go in
weekend plunge in temperatures.
previous year, a trend that Abbott is
to sell a huge crop, Abbott
hopeful will continue as storage
commented.
quite different experiences with the
Different areas of the valley had
volumes fall allowing prices to rise. hopeful prices can be pushed up as
With a smaller crop this year, he’s
weather.
had already been shipped by BCTF,
By then, 21 per cent of the apples the market season goes on.
mostly later varieties such as Fuji
The sudden deep freeze affected
and the fewer apples remaining in
and Braeburn, but it also means that
storage, the better chance there is
varieties which were picked early.
This year’s quality is good for
that prices could continue to rise. that’s being shipped to market.
Abbott says it’s beautiful fruit
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British Columbia FRUIT GROWER
11/12/09 4:15:44 PM
• Winter 2009-10
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