Michigan orchards expected to deliver 1.28 billion pounds of apples this fall

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — We know that local apple growers are seeing an early harvest this year. Now, the experts say they are expecting a large one, too.

The Michigan Apple Committee has announced that they estimate the state’s orchards will deliver around 30.5 million bushels of apples this fall — approximately 1.28 billion pounds.

The MAC says that estimate is above average for the state.

“It is unusual to have three large crops in a row,” Diane Smith, the executive director of the MAC, said in a statement . “However, as growers continue to plant high-density orchards and adopt other innovating growing practices, Michigan’s apple crop sizes will increase, and we will continue to see these larger crops.”

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average annual apple harvest in Michigan is 25.9 million bushels. Last year, Michigan orchards produced 31.9 million bushels.

Local grower Nick Schweitzer told News 8 earlier this month that he expects not only a big harvest but one with “really good quality.” Schweitzer Orchard in Sparta has already started harvesting two varieties of apples.

The MAC says everything from weather to the health of the trees factors into how many apples will grow and the quality of the fruit. Michigan’s orchards walked a tight line with an early warm up this spring that has pushed most summer crops to come through earlier than normal.

“Between strawberries, cherries, peaches, they were earlier, (now) we’re earlier. We’re following the same pattern because of the early warm up this spring,” Schweitzer said. “We had our first bud break where the first tissue leaves the buds around March 7, which was actually about 10 days earlier than in 2012 when we lost our entire crop. So, it was quite concerning this spring.

“Luckily we had a three-week period where temperatures kind of moderated and got colder again and basically shut down the development.”

Apples are considered Michigan’s most valuable fruit crop. The state is home to 775 family-run orchards that cover more than 34,000 acres and care for nearly 15 million trees.

News 8’s Kyle Mitchell contributed to this report.

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