Clean, good apple crop from Pennsylvania helping move fruit

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Pennsylvania is welcoming a strong apple crop for 2025. “It’s beautiful. We’re seeing really clean fruit with a good sizing mix, and it’s picking above estimate. This is an increase from last year,” says Valerie Ramsburg of the Rice Fruit Company.

© Rice Fruit Company

This comes following ideal growing conditions leading into the season and during harvesting. While September can bring on concerns over residual rains coming up the coast from the southern hurricane season, there’s been very little of that. “Right now we’re also heading into the crisp fall weather and that’s something we’re all enjoying. It’s refreshing to have this weather optimism,” says Ramsburg.

The start of the season also looked fairly typical. “In the spring, the crop progressed quicker and then throughout the summer, it slowed a bit. So we started within a couple of days of last year,” she says. Because of the good picking conditions, which have allowed uninterrupted harvesting, picking will likely finish around the end of October, which is a slightly earlier end to the harvest season.

© Rice Fruit Company
Varietal notes
In terms of varieties, there are increased volumes on Ambrosia, Crimson Crisp, Granny Smith and Pink Lady varieties. “Demand for those varieties has been increasing over the years and thankfully we’re growing more of them. This year in particular, Ambrosias are eating really well,” says Ramsburg.

When there is a clean harvest paired with a memorable eating experience, that’s the formula for strong demand. “We hope it will increase. Typically, this is the time of year where you can offer great value for consumers. They can stock up on their favorites while also being open to giving newer varieties a try. I feel like that will help increase demand as we go through the winter season,” says Ramsburg.

© Rice Fruit Company

All of this is leaving pricing competitive right now–not surprising given several regions are harvesting apples. “Again, it’s also good for offering customers value and then hopefully, as the year progresses, pricing will strengthen. We’re happy with pricing right now because we’re able to move a good bit of fruit,” adding that while the rising costs of goods and services is factoring into pricing, it’s a balance of how to absorb costs while remaining profitable. “You have to find that balance because the consumer is only going to pay so much for a product before they move onto something else. We’re super mindful of that,” adds Ramsburg.

Rice Fruit will be talking apples at the Global Produce & Floral show this month in Anaheim, CA and can be found at booth #2993.

For more information:
Valerie Ramsburg
Rice Fruit Company
[email protected]
www.ricefruit.com

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Source: The Plantations International Agroforestry Group of Companies