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With apple harvest well underway, the agricultural commodity is expected to produce 142 million standard forty-pound boxes of freshly harvested apples, according to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA).
Despite another record-high drought level, producers and orchards adapted to environmental conditions to produce a high-quality fruit.
“This year, Washington has experienced favorable growing conditions and good fruit sizing despite conditions in the state that curtailed water supplies to some orchards,” said Jon DeVaney, WSTFA president. “Growers anticipate a large crop with great eating quality. However, challenging economic conditions, including concerns about labor supply during harvest, mean that many growers will be more selective in what they pick. As a result, there is a high probability that the final harvested crop will be smaller than the potential reflected in his forecast.”
In June, the Northwest Horticulture Council raised concerns about escalating labor costs and their impact on the tree fruit industry.
“Domestic labor shortages have escalated significantly in the last five to ten years, driving more and more growers of all sizes to face the choice of entering the H-2A program to secure the workers they need–or go out of business,” according to the council’s vice president, Kate Tynan. “Between 2017 and 2024, the number of H-2A workers brought into Washington state increased from approximately 18.800 workers to roughly 36,000, a whopping 91% over just seven years.”
Tynan added that the number of tree fruit farm producers in the state decreased 15% between 2017 and 2022, and that escalating labor costs are unsustainable, largely fueling farm consolidation.
Indeed, the agriculture industry is invariably frugal; however, the market consumer is presented with numerous buying opportunities.
“Washington’s growers are keeping up with consumer demand for organic apples,” DeVaney said. “Washington state produces more than 90% of the nation’s organic apples. Organics represent 15% of this year’s overall crop, a sign that growers’ long-term investment in organics is paying off for them and the consumers they ultimately serve.”
For the first time, Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center's Cosmic Crisp varietal made the top-five varietal list after being introduced to the market in 2020; the Cosmic Crisp, 9.6% of production, came in at five.
The top varietal is Gala, 18% of production. Second is Honeycrisp, 15% of production. Followed by Granny Smith, 14.7% and Red Delicious, 12% of production.
Apples remain the state’s leading agricultural commodity, and represented 16% of the state’s total farm-gate agriculture value in 2022.
Derek Sandison, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said that the harvest is producing high-quality fruit.
“This year, even amid unusually warm and dry conditions, growing conditions remained strong overall, and we are expecting another large harvest with high-quality fruit,” he said. “That’s a testament to our growers’ expertise and the strength of Washington’s apple industry.”
According to the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington harvested 174,000 acres of apples as of July 2024. Chelan County produces 2% of the states’ agriculture sales and ranks 6 in fruits, tree nuts and berries.
Generally, the apple harvest continues until November.
© 2025 The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.). Visit www.wenatcheeworld.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
