Apples

The apple tree is the common name of trees from the rose family, Rosaceae, and the fruit that comes from them. The apple tree is a deciduous plant and grows mainly in the temperate areas of the world. The apple tree is believed to have originated in the Caspian and Black Sea area. Apples were the favorite fruit of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The early settlers brought apple seeds with them and introduced them to America. John Champman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, was responsible for extensive planting of apple trees in the Midwestern United States.

Prices - The average monthly price of apples received by growers in the U.S. rose by +9.5% yr/yr to 31.6 cents per pound in 2007.

Supply - World apple production in the 2006-07 marketing year rose +10.6% yr/yr to 45.993 million metric tons. The world's largest apple producers in 2005-06 were the U.S. (with 10% of world production), Turkey (4%), Italy (4%), and Germany (4%). U.S. apple production in 2006-7 rose +2.0% to 4.461 million metric tons, remaining well above the 2-decade low of 3.866 million metric tons posted in 2002-03.

Demand - The utilization breakdown of the 2006 apple crop showed that 64% of apples were for fresh consumption, 17% for juice and cider, 12% for canning, 2% for frozen apples, and 2% for dried apples. U.S. per capita apple consumption in 2006 was 17.7 pounds.