While apple production will be down this year from the average number of apples produced but there won’t be a shortage, according to New York Apple Association President Jim Allen.

The average production of apples in New York state is 29 million bushels per year, as measured over a five-year period. Last year, apple production was above average and yielded slightly more than 30 million bushels of apples, Allen said. However, this year he expects that 27 million bushels will be produced, nearly a 15 percent drop from last year.

Allen said the harsh winter with continual low temperatures hurt some of the buds and a mid-May frost chilled the blossoms, so the crop is smaller. The World Apple and Pear Association initially forecasted a smaller drop for national yields, a 4 percent decrease from 2014. New York ranks second in the U.S. for apple production with Washington leading by a large margin. 

Allen said there was one particular instance where an orchard had damaged blossoms, but a half-mile away another orchard had no damage, so the results were variable.

“When you have situations like that, it’s hard to give an estimate of what the crop is going to be,” Allen said.

The frost in May hurt the apple and strawberry crops at the Middlefield Orchard, owner Willy Bruneau said.

“We lost 60 percent of our apples during the fruiting stage,” he said.

According to Bruneau, the orchard will have enough for people to pick and for markets, but won’t be doing a lot of wholesale orders.

Since apples are the biggest crop, the loss will definitely hurt the orchard financially, he said.

“Whenever you’re in farming you’re not on a fixed income,” he said. “It’s always floating and weather-dependent.”

Though some orchards suffered, Allen said that it has been a very good growing season for apples overall. The recent hot temperatures and sunshine produces more sugar, Allen said. He said he predicts that the apples will be sweet and good-sized.

“You may have a few less apples but they are going to be very good,” Allen said.

McCaffrey writes for the Cooperstown (New York) Crier.