Apple growers are shifting toward varieties such as Honeycrisp and Pink Lady, although Gala and Red Delicious are still the industry’s powerhouses, accounting for nearly three of every 10 apples grown in America, said the U.S. Apple Association on Thursday. At its annual meeting in Chicago, the trade group estimated this year’s apple crop at 255 million bushels (10.7 billion pounds), or nearly 3 percent more than last year.
Gala has been the leading U.S. apple since 2018, when it surpassed Red Delicious, the leader for more than half a century. The top five varieties this year would be Gala, at almost 46 million bushels; Red Delicious, 34 million bushels; Fuji, 26 million bushels; Honeycrisp, 25 million bushels; and Granny Smith, 24 million bushels, said Chris Gerlach, the association’s director of analytics.
Varieties on the rise include Honeycrisp and Pink Lady, said Gerlach. The fruit website Orange Pippin calls the Honeycrisp “juicy and instantly refreshing” and says the Pink Lady is “a very attractive apple with a good flavor and deservedly popular.”
Gala, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious are among the varieties in decline, said Gerlach. Production of Fuji, Granny Smith, and Rome has remained fairly constant.
Gala and Red Delicious would account for 31 percent of U.S. production this year, compared to 32 percent in 2021, according to an unofficial comparison.