Good Fruit Grower

October 2014

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U .S. apple production only amounts to about 6 percent of world production. China's 2014 apple crop is expected to top 40 million metric tons for the first time at 41 million tons, which is more than 2 billion bushels and some 54 per- cent of world production. Michael Choi, president of Zhonglu Amer- ica Corporation, a wholly owned U.S. subsidi- ary of Zhonglu Fruit Juice Company, gave the estimate during the U.S. Apple Association's Outlook and Marketing Conference in Chicago in August. Choi said the Chinese eat 83 percent of their apples fresh. They import very few apples, but they like American Red Delicious, which are favored as gifts because of their shape and color. They like sweet apples and grow mainly Fuji, but are planting more Gala. Because the Fuji and Gala crops in China are short this year, Choi said, growers are managing more of their processing blocks for fresh market, and he expects export of apple juice concentrate will follow the declining trend it has been on for a few years now. He thinks China will sell more apples to Russia, which has banned imports from the United States and Europe in retaliation against trade sanctions designed to punish Russia for its activities in Ukraine. Europe Philippe Binard, secretary general of the World Apple and Pear Association based in Brussels, Belgium, said the European crop is about 12 percent above average, at 12 million metric tons, or 624 million bushels. About 30 percent of the crop is grown in Poland. The Polish crop is expected to be 3.5 million metric tons (186 million bushels), up 13 per- cent and its largest crop in decades. Canada Donald Werden, who manages sales and logistics for the Norfolk Fruit Growers Associ- ation in Simcoe, Ontario, estimated the Cana- dian apple crop at 22 million bushels, slightly larger than last year and the largest crop since 2007. Breaking it down by province, he put the 8 OCTOBER 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Worldwide apple crop looking big New Michigan Tree Fruit Commission sets budget B oard members of the new Michigan Tree Fruit Commission have signed an agreement to give funds to Michigan State University to maintain infra- structure at the four fruit research stations with the proviso that the univer- sity not use the funds to replace or reduce current station funding or funding for Michigan tree fruit research and extension positions or programs. The commission was formed early this summer after growers of apples, peaches, plums, and tart and sweet cherries voted to create it as a unit of state gov- ernment. It will collect an estimated $780,000 this year from a checkoff authorized by the growers. At least $425,000 of that will go to MSU's four stations to maintain orchards, buildings, roads, and machinery. Some will be held in reserve, though the rules require that collected funds be spent within a year of being collected. The board members, led by chair Jim Nugent, plan to ask the state of Michigan to match the growers' contribution and to ask allied fruit industries for in-kind contributions. The commission's activities will be directed by its board, but, as a cost savings, it will be administered by the Michigan Apple Committee, the Michigan Cherry Committee, the Michigan State Horticultural Society, and the Michigan Process- ing Apple Growers. —R. Lehnert Pictured are: Front row, from left, Doug Buhler, MSU; Fred Poston, MSU; Jim Nugent, board chair; Ray Hammerschmidt, MSU Extension; and Chuck Reid, MSU. Back row, from left, growers Jim Engelsma, Patrick Goodfellow, Mike VanAgtmael, Mark Miezio, Randy Willmeng, Fred Koenigshof, and Steve Thome. Grower Rick Sayler missed the photo. China is expecting record harvest. by Richard Lehnert PHOTO BY RICHARD LEHNERT Efrain Leyva harvests Gala apples in Gleed, Washington. This year's apple crop is expected to be the third largest ever in the United States. PHOTO BY TJ MULLINAX

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