mi-press-releases News Release NR-12-55 August 10, 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field Office Michigan Department of Agriculture Post Office Box 30239 Lansing, MI 48909-6248 Phone: (517) 324-5300 Facsimile: (517) 324-5299 E-mail: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov Web site: www.nass.usda.gov Jay V. Johnson, Director August Fruit Report Michigan fruit crops were devastated by an unusually warm March followed by a series of frosts in April. This weather pattern caused abnormally low fruit production forecasts throughout most of the eastern U.S., according to Jay Johnson, Director, USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. The Michigan apple production forecast is 105 million pounds, down from 985 million pounds last year. The 2012 U.S. apple production forecast is 8,066 million pounds, 14 percent below 2011. Washington production is forecast at 5,700 million pounds, 5 percent above 2011. The apple forecast for New York is 590 million pounds, down from 1,220 million pounds last year. The 2012 Michigan grape production is forecast at 30,000 tons, down from 94,400 tons produced in 2011. Wine grape varieties in Michigan fared better than varieties used for juice. The U.S. grape production for 2012 is forecast at 7.30 million tons, down 1 percent from last year. California's grape production is forecast at 6.60 million tons, down fractionally from 2011. Washington grape production is forecast at 415,000 tons up 31 percent from a year earlier. The New York grape forecast is 115,000 tons, down 39 percent from last year. Pennsylvania's grape production is expected at 54,000 tons, down 41 percent from 2011. The Michigan peach production forecast is 2,200 tons, down from 16,650 tons in 2011. The fresh market forecast is 1,200 tons, and processing production is forecast at 1,000 tons. United States peach production is forecast at 1.02 million tons, down 5 percent from 2011. South Carolina's peach production is forecast at 80,000 tons, down 16 percent from last year. The New Jersey forecast is 32,500 tons, 2 percent above 2011. Fruit production: Michigan and U.S., 2011-2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Michigan : United States :----------------------------------------------------------------------- Fruit : Bearing acres :Total production : Bearing acres :Total production :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : --- Acres -- Million Pounds --- Acres --- Million Pounds : Apples : 34,000 985.0 105.0 330,600 9,420.0 8,065.7 Tart cherries : 26,700 157.5 5.5 36,000 231.7 73.1 Peaches : 3,700 33.3 4.4 112,480 2,143.6 2,046.6 Blueberries 1/ : 18,700 72.0 72,000 434.1 Strawberries 1/: 750 3.3 57,470 2,894.6 : : --- Acres -- Thousand tons --- Acres --- Thousand tons : Sweet cherries : 6,500 18.6 3.3 84,820 343.1 382.2 Grapes : 14,600 94.4 30.0 960,200 7,377.7 7,296.8 Pears : 700 4.4 54,400 954.7 Plums 2/ : 400 1.4 2,710 13.1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Harvested acres. 2/ Excludes California plums and prunes.