E-mail: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov (518) 457-5570 FRUIT REPORT August 2009 Released August 12, 2009 Seasonal No. 975-4-09 GRAPES Grape production in New York is expected to total 140 thousand tons, according to growers’ reports. This represents a 19 percent decrease from a year ago. The Chautauqua-Lake Erie grape belt experienced a hard frost on May 18-19. Freezing temperatures killed primary buds and caused leaf damage. Secondary buds have not progressed as well as initially thought. Cool temperatures and rainy conditions have slowed the progress of the remaining grapes and contributed to disease, especially mildew. Growers in the Finger Lakes region escaped frost, but are dealing with a very wet and cool year. This is delaying ripening and causing some disease problems. Long Island growers experienced very wet and cool conditions. This has led to a poor fruit set and some disease problems. Sunlight and warmer temperatures are needed. U.S. grape production is forecast at 7.03 million tons, down 4 percent from 2008. California leads the U.S. in grape production with 89 percent of the total. Washington and New York are the next largest producing States, with 6 percent and 2 percent, respectively. California’s all grape forecast, at 6.25 million tons, is unchanged from the July forecast. Washington growers expect to harvest 395,000 tons, up 13 percent from a year ago. TOTAL GRAPE PRODUCTION, SELECTED STATES State 2007 2008 2009 1,000 tons New York 180.0 172.0 140.0 Arizona 0.9 0.8 1/ California 6,230.0 6,532.0 6,250.0 Michigan 100.1 73.7 98.0 Ohio 7.6 5.7 4.5 Oregon 38.6 34.7 37.0 Pennsylvania 84.0 107.2 74.0 Washington 396.0 350.0 395.0 Other States 2/ 20.1 27.2 30.5 United States 7,057.3 7,303.3 7,029.0 1/ Estimates discontinued in 2009. 2/ Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. PEARS Production prospects in New York on August 1 were for a crop of 12.5 thousand tons, up 21 percent from the production level in 2008. U.S. production is forecast at 935 thousand tons, up 7 percent from last year and 7 percent above 2007. TOTAL PEAR PRODUCTION, SELECTED STATES State 2007 2008 2009 Tons New York 11,000 10,300 12,500 Connecticut 1,000 800 1/ Michigan 4,000 2,850 2/ Pennsylvania 4,000 2,400 4,800 Bartlett 423,000 417,300 448,000 Other varieties 428,000 435,000 470,000 United States 3/ 872,950 870,850 935,300 1/ Forecasts and estimates discontinued in 2009. 2/ August forecast discontinued in 2009. 3/ Includes states not shown above. PEACHES New York's 2009 peach crop is forecast at 6,500 tons, up 18 percent from the 2008 total. The August 2009 forecast of U.S. peach production is 1.08 million tons, up 1 percent from the July 1 forecast but 5 percent below 2008. TOTAL PEACH PRODUCTION, SELECTED STATES State 2007 2008 2009 2007 2008 2009 Tons 1,000 48-pound equivalents New York 1/ 6,300 5,500 6,500 263 229 271 Michigan 20,500 14,000 20,000 854 583 833 New Jersey 32,000 34,000 34,000 1,333 1,417 1,417 Pennsylvania 19,400 21,200 27,600 808 883 1,150 United States 2/ 1,127,150 1,133,310 1,078,340 47,031 47,221 44,931 1/ Estimates for current year carried forward from July 1. 2/ National total includes amounts for other states not listed. APPLES Total apple production in New York is forecast at 1.27 billion pounds based on conditions as of August 1, according to Stephen Ropel, Director of the USDA’S National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office. This is 2 percent above the 1.25 billion pounds produced last year. Across the state, growers were experiencing a better growing season than last year. However, above average rain and spotty hail have impacted some growers. In the Lake Ontario fruit region, it has been a very wet year. Growers are hoping for some sunshine. The apples are sizing nicely. A few spotty reports of hail resulted in some damage, but it was not widespread. Orleans and Niagara Counties were hit with frost this spring that damaged a portion of the crop. In the Hudson Valley fruit region, growers reported excessive rain. Many of the storms also contained hail. Those that escaped the hail storms expect a good crop that is sizing nicely. Growers in the Lake Champlain fruit region also experienced frost, hail, and too much rain. The first U.S. apple production forecast for the 2009 crop year is 10.1 billion pounds, 4 percent above the 2008 crop . TOTAL APPLE PRODUCTION: Selected States and United States Million pounds 1,000 42-pound equivalents Variety 2007 2008 2009 2007 2008 2009 New York 1,310.0 1,250.0 1,270.0 31,190 29,762 30,238 California 345.0 360.0 330.0 8,214 8,571 7,857 Michigan 770.0 600.0 1,050.0 18,333 14,286 25,000 New England 176.6 181.9 164.0 4,205 4,331 3,905 Ohio 55.6 104.0 99.0 1,851 2,476 2,357 Pennsylvania 470.0 440.0 488.0 11,190 10,476 11,619 Virginia 215.0 230.0 200.0 5,119 5,476 4,762 Washington 5,200.0 5,800.0 5,800.0 123,810 138,095 138,095 United States 1/ 9,089.4 9,769.3 10,113.0 216,414 232,602 240,876 1/ National total includes amounts for other states not listed. S.C. Ropel, B.L. Smith, M.N. Reuber, Statisticians