The United States is the capital of apple cultivation. Washington's $3 billion apple fruit industry is not only the largest producer in the state, but two-thirds of all apple production.
apple fruit cultivation
Active international marketing campaigns, combined with intensive breeding programs, are key factors in making the state the apple capital of the country. According to the Washington Apple Commission, "Washington's nutrient-rich soil, dry climate, abundant water, and advanced growing practices provide the ingredients needed to produce the highest quality fruit." Eastern Washington also offers opportunities for expansion that the more developed rival states of New York and Michigan do not, said Todd Freihover, chairman of the committee. About 1,700 growers with orchards averaging 100 acres make up the Washington industry, contributing to the production of about 130 million 40-pound boxes or 10 to 12 billion individual apples per year, equivalent to about 3% of international production, Freiover said. Although that may seem like a small part of the market, Washington exports a third of its apples to more than 60 countries around the world. “We are really dependent on international trade.Our No. 1 goal is to promote Washington apples overseas to help bring the product to market,” said Freihover, who said Washington has a international marketing budget of $8 million. "We have 11 representatives around the world who implement the advertising and marketing concepts in their countries to help importers, wholesalers and retailers," he said. Freihover said Canada and Mexico are the top US export markets, while India and Taiwan take third and fourth place. Douglas Fruit, co-owner of Pasco, a family-owned orchard and packinghouse that serves 25 other orchards in the area, co-owner Jill Douglas says the company exports about a quarter of its apples. " I cannot complain; The market movement is quite good. We have good export markets. India and Taiwan had a big impact on us,” Douglas said. Freihover said Asia and the Middle East offer new market opportunities, especially with the Washington region's growing proximity to the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, gateways to the Pacific Ocean. “Looking at the world, we see Asia as a high-value market. We pay particular attention to countries like China; Vietnam is another country, along with Indonesia,” Freihover said. China accounts for 45% of global apple production and harvested two billion bushels last year, compared to 139 million bushels produced in the United States. "Every day we fight to gain access, maintain access, and expand that access," Freihover said. The European Union remains a difficult market to enter due to high production levels. Despite having a smaller population than the United States, the region produces three times as much. Other options are also being explored in South and Central America. “We are competitors in a very crowded market,” Freihover said. Other versions are also being examined in South and Central America. “We're competitors in a very crowded market,” Freihover said. 
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A common feature in all international markets is the introduction of new apple varieties that suit consumer tastes. Freihover said consumers prefer new neighborhood apples to the old ones. 8 cultivars have made up 97% of Washington gardens for decades, out of about 2,500 known domestic cultivars and 7,500 different cultivars grown worldwide. Innovations in DNA sequencing and other advances in apple breeding are accelerating the emergence of new varieties. One is Cosmic Crisp, a "sweet and sour" hybrid between Enterprise and Honeycrisp developed and patented by Washington State University's Apple Breeding Program. It will be available exclusively to all manufacturers in Washington for 10 years starting in 2019. “Cosmic Crisp has a dense cell structure that gives apples a firm, crunchy texture. Nobody is interested in eating a soft apple,” said Freihover. Another goal of breeding programs is to develop varieties with higher density. "This is a step away from the traditional 400 trees per acre," Freihover said. “Now we see (thousands of) trees per hectare. We see continuous growth, new plantings are made every year. Another trend is the move to organic products. Producers are responding to increasing consumer demand for organic products. “We've converted all of our stone fruit to organic, and we've converted a lot of apples to organic from regular apples,” says Douglas. “The organic market is growing steadily and there is demand.” Douglas said Douglas Fruit has been growing organic food for about 11 years. "We're switching some of the best varieties (of apples) and orchards to organic," she says. Washington Apple Commission officials report that more than 25% of the state's apple packers are certified organic and that "Eastern Washington's arid climate and ideal temperatures reduce apple packer disease rates." and pests", promote the cultivation of organic products. "It's definitely more expensive to grow," Douglas said. "But people have a choice, and we give them that choice." Like other members of the agricultural sector, apple producers and packers are under pressure from rising production costs, mainly due to shortages and rising labor costs. "This has been our biggest problem and biggest limitation by far," Freihover said. All Washington state apples are hand-picked. He explained that this was not only due to the quality and intensity classification standards set by Washington, which are stricter than other standards used around the world, but also due to the lack of apple picking machines. Freihover said the industry-wide crusade for high-yielding apple varieties is directly related to the labor issue. "Farmers can only control two things: the amount of product and the yield per hectare," says Freihover. 
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"We've been here 30 years," Douglas said. “And the last year and a half has been the most difficult. … We had a high turnover, which is not usually a problem for packaging companies. … We have more vacancies, but there are no nobody. Douglas said Douglas Fruit uses the US Department of Labor's H-2A program to recruit enough workers each season. She said the company needs permanent staff year-round. Douglas Fruit workers arrived on March 15. “We are bringing them (a month or two) earlier than last year. ... They'll be working until the fall," Douglas said. He said the average worker in the United States dislikes heavy physical labor and that is seasonal work. “Small farms cannot (produce H-2A power); it doesn't make sense and (their) cultures are often not diverse, so it's very difficult,” Douglas said. “All costs have gone up,” Freihover said. "Even at minimum wage, we can't even compete remotely." One grower Douglas Fruit works with is Danny Hayden of Hayden Farms in Pasco. “The investment costs of creating a garden are currently extremely high. “This is not corporate America, these organizations are run by families,” Freihover said. “It's a standard system, not a choice. … Is there a better solution? Surely. We have been looking for a better solution for a long time and we have not found it. As the region prepares for the upcoming season, Douglas said this year's apple harvest was on track, although she said there were "a few more months of bad weather to stay in." the safe zone". "Washington State is still one of the best places in the world to grow apples," she said. "I hope we will be in business for a long time." 