Today’s Harvest Blog

The U.S. apple industry is moving a lot of fruit, but profitability is being squeezed by heavy supply, stubborn demand and rising costs. Farm Credit East recently hosted a webinar with Chris Gerlach of USApple for an overview of the industry. The following are key points growers should be aware of as they plan orchard decisions, labor and marketing for the season ahead. 

Each year, your perennial crop insurance policy will renew by November 20. It is important to meet with your agent each year, prior to this date, to ensure accuracy and alignment in your risk management goals.  

With harvest upon us, apple bins are being filled and moved into storage. While this is a busy time of year for growers, it’s important to ensure you are proactively keeping track of production. We all have different ways to capture production information — whether it be a software with bin tags, hard copy logs from each trucker or sales records. The most important thing is the record keeping is done accurately.  

The Northeast U.S. frequently experiences severe weather, including hail, which can severely damage crops and lead to major financial losses for farmers. Due to the unpredictable nature of hailstorms, crop-hail insurance is a crucial safeguard for agricultural businesses. This type of insurance helps cover losses from reduced crop quality and yield caused by hail damage.