Back in May, some parts of Michigan saw sustained cold temperatures below freezing. That event had the biggest impact on southwestern Michigan’s apple crop as opposed to other areas in the state.
Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee, said based on the 2019 crop, they’re expecting to have a 10 percent loss.
“We’ll be down a little bit,” she said. “We’re still going to be pretty close to our five-year averages, but apples are just now growing. It’s hard to predict until we get them a little bit bigger and see if we’re going to have any other issues based on the freeze with quality.”
75 percent of Michigan’s apples are produced in the Fruit Ridge. Smith said those areas are developing nicely as summer progresses.
“We’re hearing some very positive anecdotal information and how the crop is looking,” she said. “Quality is looking good. I think the favorite varieties like Gala, Honeycrisp and Fuji are really looking good. We might be a little lacking from some varieties, but anybody should be able to find whatever variety they love going into fall this year.”
The Michigan Apple Committee will have an official crop estimate in August.
