LAFAYETTE -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports New York's cherry, apple, and peach crops were down last year.
Apple production was down 7% with the 2010 crop totaling 1.2 million pounds, compared to 1.3 million pounds in 2009. From the 2010 crop, 660 million pounds went to processing plants at an average of $209 per ton, and 600 million pounds were sold for the fresh market at an average of $526 per ton.
The 2010 peach crop totaled 5,900 tons, down 9% from 2009, but up 7% from 2008.
The tart cherry crop was down 30 percent from 2009 and 19 percent from 2008, totaling 7.8 million pounds in 2010. Sweet cherry production totaled 313,000 tons, down 29 percent from 2009.
At Beak & Skiff apple farms in Lafayette, apple production is down about 10%, mostly due to a heavy crop last year, cold temperatures, and poor pollination.
However, Beak & Skiff says the fruit quality is better, and the apples are a little bit larger than usual.
