West Coast apple growers are enjoying a great season but it may take a while for them to see their profits

On the West Coast, apple growers are preparing for a strong harvest.

Despite the positive outlook, industry leaders warn it could take some time for those growers to see the financial fruits of their labor.

“Of course, we’d love to have the supply-demand equilibrium just work out perfectly and, you know, everybody gets the price that they want. But in the world of tree fruit, it can take a while to kind of fine-tune those levels to the point where growers can get the return that they really need,” said Michael Schadler, president of the Washington Apple Commission.

Schadler says the largest issue facing the apple industry this year has been labor.

Related Stories
Pollination costs remain volatile, raising planning risk for specialty crop producers.
Crop-specific shifts and strong prices highlight the variability of this year’s fruit and tree nut harvest, according to USDA data.
FarmHER Kait Thornton joined us on Thursday on the Market Day Report to talk about the podcast episode, her family orchard’s 100th anniversary + more!
Justin Wilson’s unexpected cobbler recipe features juicy blueberries, a splash of brandy, and a tender crust with subtle nuttiness thanks to a bit of peanut butter melted into the batter.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Nearly everyone in the South Texas ag community appears extremely worried about the potential of a New World screwworm epidemic, according to a local veterinarian. RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey reports.
Large-scale land purchases signal rising competition for ranchland, reinforcing its value while reshaping long-term access and control in rural agriculture.
Brian Earnest, an animal protein economist with CoBank, shares insights into current demand trends and the challenges facing broiler production.
Jack Hubbard, with the Center for the Environment and Welfare, shares context and perspective on the controversial letter about Prop 12 circulating in Washington and how a review shows it misled the public.
AFBF Economist Faith Parum discusses the financial challenges currently facing farmers and the Farm Bureau’s 2026 outlook for the farm economy.
From tariff talks in Europe to SCOTUS uncertainty and rising farm losses, analysts say policy and global supply will shape grain markets in the year ahead.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.