WENATCHEE, Wash. — Apple industry leaders from across Washington state predict a smaller-than-average crop this year due in part to an unusually cold and stormy spring.

At the Washington Apple Commission meeting May 26, growers shared crop predictions, with most estimates ranging from 105 million to 115 million 40-pound boxes, significantly smaller than the five-year average of 128.3 million boxes.

“My take is, it seems like nobody has a good crop,” said commissioner Jim Thomas.

Growers based their estimates on how apple trees bloomed this spring, which many said was “spotty,” in some cases with entire orchard blocks not blooming.

Although the short crop was largely attributed to this spring’s winds, cold weather and wetness — which damaged blossoms and limited pollination — some growers said they believe the orchards may also be experiencing long-term effects from 2021’s heat wave.

“We kind of feel that the heat last year had a lot to do with (lack of bloom), because blocks that were off last year that should have been on this year are taking another year off,” said commissioner Michael Roche. “It’s hard to figure out what causes that, but we feel that the heat last year had a lot to do with the return bloom this year, because we’re just not seeing bloom where there should be bloom.”

The short crop creates a budgeting challenge for the apple commission.

The commission is funded by assessments from growers. Some of this money funds the commission’s operations, which include promotion, advertising, education and market development for Washington’s fresh apple crop.

Apple commission money is also used as matching dollars for federal programs. For example, $2 million from the commission returns $5 million in Market Access Program funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In turn, the commission also helps fund other industry organizations, including the U.S. Apple Association and Northwest Horticultural Council.

At current budget levels, according to commission vice president Robin Mooney, a break-even crop would need to be about 128 million boxes. This year’s smaller crop means about a $700,000 shortfall in the organization’s $4.7 million budget.

Commission president Todd Fryhover said the short-term solution is to temporarily reduce the board-designated reserve.

Other board members agreed and voted to decrease the reserve from $4 million to $3 million to give the commission more working capital during the short crop year.

Bob Mast, commissioner and president of CMI Orchards, said that may not be enough.

”If we have to trim the (Washington Apple Commission) budget, growers are going to want us to have to trim back the other budgets we’re dealing with,” said Mast.

Of the two major apple organizations the commission funds — the U.S. Apple Association and Northwest Horticultural Council — commissioners at the meeting generally agreed that the horticultural council provides more value to Pacific Northwest growers than USApple, so USApple would bear the brunt of the funding cut.

After discussion, the board voted to cap the USApple assessment at $1 million, while keeping the horticultural council’s funding intact.