2006 Industry News Releases
School Students Participate in Healthy Eating Event (Nov 1)
While the exact count won’t be known until the end of November, as many as 750,000 Pennsylvania students participated in the 2006 GREAT PA APPLE CRUNCH. For students in Pennsylvania schools, it was one of the biggest APPLE day’s ever! Schools from Northeast to Philadelphia, Scranton to Pittsburgh and everywhere in between were involved in an initiative to encourage students to consumer apples, a healthy portion of any diet.
USApple Backs Legislation to Enhance Competitiveness of Specialty Crops (Sept. 27)
The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) strongly endorses the “Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act (EAT Healthy America Act).” The bipartisan bill, introduced by Representatives Richard Pombo (R-CA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Adam Putnam (R-FL) and John Salazar (D-CO), drew co-sponsors fromkey apple-growing regions across the country.
USApple Provides an “Outlook” for the Global Apple Industry (July 13)
The 2006 Apple Crop Outlook and Marketing Conference, which will be held Aug. 17-18 at the Chicago Four Seasons Hotel, promises to be the premiere meeting of the apple industry in the United States. This “can’t miss” conference will feature national and world apple experts providing a first look at U.S. and international apple crops, giving attendees an edge in the competitive global market.
USApple Takes Crop Insurance Concerns to Congress (April 26)
George Lamont an apple grower from Albion, NY, testified before the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, about changes that are still needed in the federal apple crop insurance policy to make it more valuable to growers and encourage more participation.
National Apple Month Display Contest Boosts Apple Sales (January 24, 2006)
U. S. Apple Association’s (USApple) National Apple Month (NAM) program today announced the winners of the fall 2005 National Apple Month retail and military display contests, bringing the apple industry’s fall generic apple promotion to a close. The contest, with T. Marzetti’s® products and the National Peanut Board as promotion partners, resulted in a sales boost for healthy, delicious U.S. apples, processed apple products, and tie-in products, during the launch of the industry’s 2005 marketing season. Photos of the winning entries are available here.
U.S. Apple Growers Appointed to Federal Advisory Board (January 20, 2006)
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns recently appointed three U.S. apple growers as new members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Board. Jeff Crist of Walden, NY; Gordon “Sonny” Bowman of Mt. Jackson, VA; and David Patterson of Chesterland, OH, will be part of the board that advises the Secretary of Agriculture on issues affecting the fruit and vegetable industry.
New Year Brings Smaller Supply, Strong Demand for Apples (January 13, 2006)
There were fewer apples in storage at the start of 2006 than there were at the same time in 2005, and the apple industry is enjoying continued strong demand for their fruit, according to the most recent survey of apple storage facilities conducted by the U.S. Apple Association (USApple). Total apple holdings in the U.S. as of January 1, 2006, decreased seven percent from the previous year, while apple movement was reported running about three percent above the five-year average for the period.
