Facts and Figures About New York State Apples
Where do all those great New York State apples come from, and where do they go? Learn these and other interesting facts about our industry.
NEW YORK’S NATIONAL RANK IN APPLE PRODUCTION
New York really is the Big Apple
New York is the second-largest apple producing state in the country. Perennially, Michigan ranks third; Pennsylvania and California round out the top 5.
(Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, annual Non-citrus Fruits and Nuts Summary)
AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION
That’s a lot of apples!
New York State averages 29.5 million bushels of production annually.
(Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Non-citrus Fruits and Nuts Summary, various years)
GROWING REGIONS AND ACREAGE
New York State apples are grown on about 55,000 acres, in six major production districts around the entire state:
- Champlain Valley
- Eastern Hudson Valley
- Western Hudson Valley
- Central
- Lake Country
- Niagara Frontier
(Source: USDA 2007 Agricultural Census)
Top 10 apple-growing counties are:
- Wayne
- Ulster
- Orleans
- Niagara
- Clinton
- Columbia
- Monroe
- Orange
- Onondaga
- Dutchess
GROWER NUMBERS
Meet your local grower
There are approximately 600 commercial apple growers in New York State.
INDUSTRY EMPLOYMENT
We grow jobs, too
The New York apple industry provides employment for thousands of New Yorkers, both directly and indirectly:
- 10,000 direct agricultural jobs (e.g., growing, harvesting, packing, etc.)
- 7,500 indirect jobs involved with fruit handling, distribution, marketing and exports
- Thousands of other indirect jobs including agricultural supplies (equipment, crop protection and services), financial services and apple processing
CROP UTILIZATION
Check out where all those apples go
On average, 13,250,000 bushels (53 percent) are sold as fresh-market fruit. The remainder, on average 11,750,000 bushels (47 percent), are processed into juice, cider, canned products including sauce, slices, pie filling and other processed apple products.
(Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service)
