Michigan apple growers are expecting another above-average harvest for the third year in a row.
The Michigan Apple Committee is forecasting a harvest of around 30 million bushels of apples. That’s slightly lower than last year’s haul, but still about five million bushels higher than average.
“It’s pretty unusual to have three big years in a row. So we’re kind of wondering: ‘Is this the new normal?’" said Nikki Rothwell, with the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Station. "People wonder if it’s climate-related, if it’s warmer, are we getting a longer season?”
Rothwell said advanced breeding in apple trees could also help explain it.
Regardless of the cause, she said the big crops raise other long-term questions about apple storage and sales.
That’s because back-to-back bumper crops can create storage problems and affect pricing, said Travis Bratschi, an apple grower in Grand Traverse County.
“Fruit doesn’t get better in storage. Your grades only have one way to go, and that’s down,” he said. “That’s worrisome because … the longer they’re [in storage], the quality tends to deteriorate.”
Advancements in storage technology have made it so growers can store apples for up to 10 months; Bratschi said he’s still selling apples harvested in 2023.
Some of last year’s apples are still waiting to be sold, and that glut could clog up storage.
But right now, Bratschi said fresh apples — fruit that’s not sold to a processor for fillings or applesauce — are fetching a decent price.
Plus, he said, bad forecasts in other major apple-producing states could help ease pressures in Michigan.
“There are some holes across the country, Washington being the biggest,” Bratschi said. “Some of the early numbers [say] they’re down 20% to 25% in Honeycrisp production. So that could provide opportunity for Michigan growers.”
For now, he said he hopes prices for apples remain strong as more fruit starts to come off the trees this fall.
