As Apples Tumble, Prices Expected to Rise

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Early spring-like weather and poorly timed frosts will likely mean higher apple prices this year.

Apple growers in Wisconsin are expected to produce a total of 20 million pounds of the fruit by the end of the season.The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service says that is the smallest crop in decades.Areas in central and southern Wisconsin were the hardest hit.UW Extension Fruit Specialist Rebecca Harbut says most apple growers do not have crop insurance.Still, she says most farmers will get by the best that they can until next year. “There are some that are just closing their doors to growers and not opening them. Any apples they do have to sell, they’ll sell on the whole sale market.So there’s a few of them, but a majority of apple growers are keeping their doors open because they do have some apples.”

Wood Orchard in Egg Harbor will be open for business. Co-owner Steve Wood expects to harvest just over 50 percent of his normal apple crop.Wood says he still has a wide variety of apples to choose from.Businesses will still have a wide variety of apples to choose from, but, according to Wood, consumers will likely see an increase in price no matter where they buy their apples. “Our cherries have gone up dramatically because of the same crop situation that many apple growers are facing. Just supply and demand has really reduced the supply, and that is reflected by increase in price,” Wood said.

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How much more apples will cost at each orchard is still unclear, but at least one grower says he expects retail prices to increase as much as 40 percent or more.