Strong processing prices expected to continue for New York apples

by

Prices could be strong on apples from New York this season. “Pricing is complex but with a high processing price, there is a strong floor,” says Tim Mansfield of Sun Orchard Fruit Co., noting that pricing will also depend on how Washington’s apple crop for 2026 looks. “Demand generally is good but also processing demand has been strong all year and it looks to be another strong year with the mid-Atlantic states getting hit hard by frost as well as the Hudson Valley. Growers will have some options as to what they want to do with their fruit. Some of it will end up going to processors where they can get their money up front rather than have their fruit marketed throughout the year.”

© Sun Orchard Fruit Co.

This thinking comes as the company’s growers begin harvesting its crop of apples this week. While there has been some early picking in the week, today is when packing begins on early Honeycrisp.

Regional outlook in New York
Overall, the state is leaning towards having an average apple crop this year. “In Western New York along the shore of Lake Ontario, it’s a pretty decent-sized crop. It has good quality and the sizing should be a little larger than last year,” says Mansfield. “Then along the Hudson Valley is the area that got hit pretty hard with the frost so they’re down quite a bit. I think the state is probably down from the five-year-average.”

© Sun Orchard Fruit Co.

In terms of varieties, harvest begins with some early Honeycrisp this week and then picking on Ginger Gold will begin next week, and Macintosh the week after that. “It’s good because we had more varieties carry through for the whole season than we’ve ever had–we’re trying to do that to be a year-round supplier on a number of varieties,” he says.

That includes the company’s Empire apple supply. Normally, shipping on this variety for Sun Orchard Fruit wraps up in July and this year, the company is shipping into September. That’s thanks to using dynamic controlled atmosphere (CA) to put the apples into a “deeper sleep” which delays maturity and keeps the fruit fresher and tastier.

For more information:
Tim Mansfield
Sun Orchard Fruit Co.
Tel: +1 (716) 778-8544
[email protected]
https://www.sunorchardapples.com

Related Agroforestry News Posts:

  1. Scottish potato farmers on an aid mission for Ukraine The group consisting of Scottish potato farmers have started an aid effort for Ukraine. The farmer Mark Laird from Kirriemuir worked in Poland as well as Ukraine for a long time. The Central Plains Group (CPG) is a group of...
  2. South Africa targets 60,000 tons in pistachio production expansion South Africa’s pistachio sector is expanding in the Northern Cape, with orchards developing across the Karoo alongside financing structures aligned with long-term crop cycles and export positioning. At a growers’ conference in Prieska, Karoo Pistachios and Fedgroup outlined plans to...
  3. IIFT roundtable charts path to $100 billion agri exports The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), in collaboration with Rural Voice Media Platform, organized a roundtable conference addressing “Realising the $100 Billion Agri Export Goal” at the IIFT campus in New Delhi. The event examined the hurdles, prospects, and...
  4. Costa Rica’s pineapple sector’s technical sustainability model Costa Rica’s pineapple production accounts for 30% of the country’s agricultural GDP and nearly 2% of its national GDP. According to data from CANAPEP (National Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters), the sector generates nearly 38,000 direct and 148,000 indirect...
  5. Malaysia prohibits docking on Israeli as well as Israel-bound vessels The day before, Malaysia barred any Israeli or Israeli-bound vessels from docking at their ports. Demonstrations in support of Palestine are a regular occurrence throughout Malaysia from October. Malaysia’s sweeping ban on ships belonging to the Israeli shipping firm ZIM...

Source: The Plantations International Agroforestry Group of Companies