This apple is still No. 1 in WA. But another is taking a bite out of its popularity

Grocery store favorites Gala and Granny Smith will again be the most grown apples in Washington state this year.

Galas continue to be at number one, accounting for 19% of the state’s apple production, the Washington State Tree Fruit Association forecast on Monday.

Granny Smiths are the next most popular at 14.5% of the state’s apple crop.

But a newer “out of this world” variety is quickly gaining on them.

The Cosmic Crisp is growing in popularity. Just five years after it was first introduced, it will make up 9% of the state’s harvest in 2024.

It was developed as WA-38 by Washington State University specifically for Eastern Washington’s agriculture conditions and production will be up 3% since last year.

Washington is the top apple-producing state in the U.S. and this year’s crop is expected to be at 124 million, 40-pound boxes.

The other top five varieties are Red Delicious (13%), Honeycrisp (12%) and Fuji (10.5%).

This year, a moderate spring and a warm early summer created stable growing conditions for apples, said the association.

Cool and wet weather in 2022 caused a smaller crop of 103.9 million, and then a much larger “rebound” crop in 2023 of 136.1 million boxes.

There also is an upward trend in production of organic apples, said the group.

“Apples are synonymous with Washington state, and we are known for producing the world’s finest apples,” said Derek Sandison, 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.”

Nearly 30% percent of Washington’s harvest is exported to other nations.

And as the state’s leading agricultural commodity, apples are vital to the state economy.

They represented 16%, or $2 billion, of the state’s total farm-gate agricultural value in 2022, meaning the market value after selling costs, said the association.

The apple forecast is based on a survey of tree fruit association members and is the best estimate of the total volume of apples that will be packed and sold on the fresh market.

Apple harvest typically begins in August and continues into November.