BOSTON – The U.S. Apple Association says the six-state harvest is expected to be about 14 percent higher than last year’s and 18 percent above the region’s five-year average. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates total New England apple production will come in at just under 170 million pounds this year.
Growers point to generally favorable weather conditions in early spring and summer and during the pollination period, with little or no damage from frost.
Russell Powell from the New England Apple Growers Association says some areas of the region experienced dry spells over the summer, while a few orchards were battered by severe thunderstorms and damaging hail.
But overall, he said things appeared to be shaping up nicely.
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