Fruit farmers are tallying losses incurred due to the coronavirus outbreak. According to the Washington Apple Commission, supply chain interruptions and a sift in consumer buying habits cut export sales. Growers say that the situation compounded losses after fallout from the U.S.-China Trade War.
Toni Lynn Adams with the commission says, “We specifically see that there has been a drop in exports over the course of the last few months, and it’s been a real challenge. It’s been compounding on some ongoing issues that we already had in the form of retaliatory tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade, so it’s really been amplifying those issues and causing a major slowdown.”
Washington accounts for 65 percent of all U.S. fresh apples produced and exports one-third of its crop annually.