The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) announced its production forecast for the 2024-25 crop during its 129^th annual Outlook Conference in Chicago last week.

The Association projects 259,517,252 bushels output for the latest campaign, a 10.1% decrease compared to last year’s final production yield. Despite the reduction in yield, the vice president of Insights and Analytics with USApple, Chris Gerlach, said growers across the country are reporting excellent crop quality. 

“Despite various challenges, the resilience and dedication of our growers have led to another promising year for apple production,” Gerlach said. “The data we’ve gathered not only highlights the strength of our industry but also underscores the importance of innovation and adaptability in ensuring a bountiful harvest.”

Broken down by state, the production forecast from USApple is:

1. Washington (155,000,000, down 14.5%)
2. New York (31,000,000, up 4.6%)
3. Michigan (30,500,000, down 4.4%)
4. Pennsylvania (11,500,000, down 12.7%)
5. California (5,476,190, down 4.2%)
6. Virginia (4,750,000, down 5.5%)
7.Oregon (3,571,429, down 5.4%)
“Other States” (17,719,632, down 3.7%)

At the varietal level, Gala is expected to retain the top spot with more than 48 million bushels produced, accounting for around 17% of the U.S. apple market. After Gala, rounding out the top five are Red Delicious (12.3%), Granny Smith (10%), Honeycrisp (9.8%), and Fuji (9.4%).

Exports

According to USDA trade data, fresh apple exports totaled 46.4 million bushels in 2023-2024 (July to June). This is around 14 million bushels higher than 2022-23 export levels, a 44% year-over-year increase, according to USApple.

The surge in fresh apple exports is largely attributed to the abundant domestic supply, competitive pricing abroad, and favorable positive trade policies.

“Thanks to the removal of previously imposed tariffs on our apples, exports to India are up nearly 4,000% year over year. We are optimistic that this critical market will continue to grow in volume and value,” Gerlach said.