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Washington’s Apple Crop Should Be Second Largest On Record

Anna King

This year Washington farmers estimate they’ll harvest about 133 million boxes of apples. That’s up 15 percent over last year’s crop, but it won’t pluck the top record from the biggie 2014. The harvest is just now starting.

Apple farmers don’t like to dis a crop. But last year’s -- well it was tough. Scorching temps and drought made it hard to bring in firm, crisp fruit for the whole eating-season. But this year -- this year -- farmers are smiling wide. Apples appear like they will store better and last longer at peak ripeness. That’s because the apples had enough warm weather this year to grow large enough, and they had enough cool nights to have good acids for that tart snap. And enough warm days to ripen up and color up. This year’s crop is one of the largest on record. Fruit marketers will have to hustle to get the whole crop sold by next summer.
 

Anna King calls Richland, Washington home and loves unearthing great stories about people in the Northwest. She reports for the Northwest News Network from a studio at Washington State University, Tri-Cities. She covers the Mid-Columbia region, from nuclear reactors to Mexican rodeos.