ALBANY (AP) -- This year's apple crop in New York is expected to be about 4 percent smaller than last year because of the hot, dry summer and some wind damage from Tropical Storm Irene.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Wednesday that as of Oct. 1, the harvest was expected to total 1.22 billion pounds, down from 1.27 billion in 2010.
Growers in the Lake Ontario region reported a good year, though the weather slowed the development of the fruit. Orchards in the Hudson Valley and Lake Champlain regions reported the losses from Irene.
The state harvest was 63 percent complete as of Tuesday.
Nationally, the USDA says the harvest will be 9.43 billion pounds, 1 percent more than a year ago.
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