W37: Apple Update

In W37 in the apple landscape, the apple industry in Washington State has experienced a significant decline, with the 2022/23 crop dropping by 11% due to a heat wave and a cold, rainy spring. This follows a pattern of over a 20% drop in production between 2019 and 2022, with the state's crop dropping from 181 million bushels to 143 million bushels. The Washington Apple Commission's Apr-23 statistical review predicts a recovery in the industry, with a potential 130 million crop.

Michigan's official 2023 crop estimate of 32 million bushels of apple harvest was announced on August 18. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that Michigan produced 32.38 million bushels of apples in 2022, breaking the previous record of 24 million bushels per year.

Moreover, EastFruit experts in Moldova have revised the apple harvest forecast for 2023 due to the hot second half of summer. The total harvest will be approximately 480 to 500 thousand tons, which is 50 to 70 thousand tons less than the Jul-23 estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. Despite this, the apple harvest in Moldova is expected to exceed last year's 446 thousand tons. However, it will be smaller than usual, with previous harvests being 650 thousand tons in 2021, 610 thousand tons in 2019, and 665 thousand tons in 2018. Agronomists predict that many fruits will not reach their optimal size due to drought and hot summer and that farmers in old, non-irrigated orchards may not carry out necessary operations on time to reduce costs. As a result, fewer high-quality apples will be in Moldova in 2023.

In South Korea, the Rural Development Administration aims to supply optimal apple varieties to adapt to climate change, which is expected to decrease the domestic apple cultivation area and production by 17.1% and 9.2% in 2031, respectively. The administration plans to establish a stable production base by supplying appropriate varieties for each region, including a production complex for the new 'Colorful' apple variety in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do, and 'Golden Ball' in Gunwi, Daegu. The 'Colorful' variety, a mid-late ripening variety with a sweet and sour taste, is resistant to anthracnose, double spot rot, and brown spot disease, thanks to its red bark and smooth surface.