Gustavo Ferreira, Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech
Introduction
Virginia apples are grown in over 100 commercial orchards and account for more than 16,000 acres of land. Furthermore, the estimated commercial apple yield per acre is 700 bushels. Even though the Virginia apple industry has experienced a long lasting decline, it still contributes an estimated $235 million annually to the state’s economy. Furthermore, there have been increases in production and tree plantings in recent years (Virginia Apple Growers Association 2014). This study analyzes important apple market information from the 2014 Market News , which is a publication of the U.S. Apple Association. While the focus of this of this article is Virginia, regional and global apple production trends are also analyzed. Continue reading