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Riveridge Produce: We’ve got apples!
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GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – Big news today out of Michigan on the volume of the 2013 apple crop! Today was the 58th Annual Fruit Guesstimate organized by the Michigan Frozen Food Packers Association.
The Guesstimate provides a “first look” at the size of apple, tart and sweet cherry, and blueberry crops in Michigan and nationwide, relying on experienced growers to canvass orchards in their areas and arrive at consensus about the expected crop loads.
It’s called a Guesstimate because there’s lots of time remaining until harvest, and negative weather events are still possible. However, the grower estimates today collectively represent hundreds of years’ experience in “sizing up” the crops. The first statistically viable estimate of crop size will be provided by the US Department of Agriculture in late August.
All that said, the Guesstimate hangs a first-of-the-year estimate on the size of Michigan’s 2013 apple crop. Today, that number was put at just over 26 million bushels. This compares favorably to Michigan’s average, which is in the 19 to 20 million bushel range.
We at Riveridge Produce Marketing agree: The crop is looking very good at this point. We had nice weather during pollination and got many king-blooms pollinated. Warm weather followed, which lays the groundwork for larger apples. From here, we’ll let our growers work their magic to thin the apples to proper volumes, and navigate weather and crop nuisances.
We’re eager to talk with you about our 2013-14 promotional programs, and anticipate working closely with the Michigan Apple Committee’s plans again this year.
As we count down to harvest – eight weeks away – we’re gearing up to provide an exceptional home-grown Michigan apple that meets global standards!
Sincerely,
Dawn Geers Rog Geers Brian Johnson
Melissa Dubridge Don Armock
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