Apple harvest 2024 close to recent norms, high in quality

ROYAL CITY — With the end of harvest in sight, it looks like 2024 is going to be a good year when it comes to the quality of Washington apples. 

“It’s a great year,” said Karen Lewis, regional tree fruit specialist for Washington State University-Grant/Adams County Extension.  

“2023 was a rough year, so 2024 is a sigh of relief,” she said.  

The 2024 Washington apple crop will be about 124 million 40-pound boxes, according to the estimate released by the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. That’s closer to the state’s historic norm, according to the WSFTA press release. 

That’s due in part to the weather gods, who smiled on apple growers in 2024 – something they didn’t do in 2022, which set up a rocky rebound in 2023. Cold and wet weather in spring 2022 – including snow in mid-April – seriously affected the 2022 crop, which was about 103.9 million boxes. The trees responded with a bumper crop in 2023, when the crop was about 136.1 million boxes.  

Jon DeVaney, WSTFA president, said in the press release that growers were pleased with a harvest closer to recent averages.  

“There is a lot of excitement as we are seeing a more normal and excellent fruit quality this year,” DeVaney said. 

“We had the right kind of spring (and) a little more heat than we liked in the summer,” Lewis said. 

The weather during harvest has been good, with warm but not hot temperatures and not much rain, she said.  

Fruit quality will please consumers. 

“It’s pretty awesome this year,” she said. 

While most growers had good weather this year, some didn’t, Lewis said. Some growers experienced frost and other adverse weather conditions that had an adverse effect on the way the apples look, she said. On the other hand, while some apples may not look as good, they all taste pretty good this year, she said.  

Galas will make up about 19% of 2024 production; Granny Smith is the second leading variety, with about 14.5% of production. The Red is not dead - Red Delicious will make up about 13% of Washington production. Honeycrisp is forecast to account for about 12%, and Fuji will make up about 10.5%, according to the WSTFA. 

Consumer taste changes over time, influenced by new and different varieties. Cosmic Crisp (originally WA-38) was developed by WSU for Eastern Washington growing conditions and was released to the market in 2019. It will make up about 9% of the 2024 harvest, up from 6% in 2023.  

Cripps Pink is forecast to make up about 7% of the crop, with Envy and Golden Delicious at about 3.5%.  

Organic apples will represent about 16% of total production. Washington accounts for more than 90% of national organic production. 

“Apples are synonymous with Washington, and we are known for producing the world’s finest apples,” said Derek Sanderson, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. “Thanks to more favorable growing conditions this past year, we expect the projected harvest to be not only high in quantity but also quality.”