This is the time of year in Eastern Washington when questions like “how is your harvest going?” Are not just casual questions. The Washington State Tree Fruit Association makes predictions every year, but predictions for this year are somewhat uncertain. 

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According to seattletimes.com,
‘This year, there are too many variables to make a prediction, said the association’s president, Jon DeVaney.
Unpredictable weather patterns, fluctuating market conditions and changing labor supply all affect harvest numbers.
After long discussions, the association’s board of directors voted to end its Aug. 1 apple crop forecast, its five-year crop forecast, and its October and November apple storage reports. The first crop report will be released on Dec. 1, after harvesting has ended.’ 

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Even with all this uncertainty, there are a few things that we do know. DeVaney said, “But so far, there has been good quality fruit on the trees” but the word is that the total harvest may be a little smaller than last year.  

It’s still early

On one level, this might be good for growers because a smaller crop might mean higher market prices. But DeVaney went on to say, “There’s a lot of uncertainty on the economic, trade and immigration fronts that we should be worried about. But after the last couple of years with so much bad news, having any good news is a welcome change for our growers,” 

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Forecast predictions can sometimes be lower than the actual harvest because some growers are reluctant to claim that they’re having a “bumper crop” that might drive prices down.  

On the national level, the US Department of Agriculture is predicting the national apple harvest will be down about 6 to 7% this year. 

We’ve still got a little way to go on our apple harvest here in the Wenatchee Valley. Here’s hoping that the harvest runs smoothly, and the quality of the crop continues to remain good.