Adequacy of refrigerated storage space for apples

Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

o

1.942

F34Ad3

UlTITED STATES DEPARTMEITT OF AGRICULTURE
U^' Agricultural 14arketing Administration

LIBRARY
RECEIVED

FEB 2 3
U. S. D«part«8nt sf AgricHfture

1

/

ADEQUACY OF REFRIGERATED STORAGE SPACE FOR APPLES

By Joseph F. Herrick, Jr., Assistant liarketing Specialist

* Washington, D. C«

October 1942

ADEQUACY OF REFRIGERATED STORAGE SPACE FOR APPLES
By Joseph F. Ferrick, Jr., Assistant T/larketing Specialist

Arple Crop Up 6 Million Bushels »-» According to the October 1
estimate of the Crop Reporting Board, this year's apple crop of 128
million bushels will exceed last year's production by 6 ndllion bush-
els, or approximately 5 percent (table l). The Northeast, including
Virginia, 'Test Virginia, and Ohio, expects 9 million bushels more than
last year, v/hile the estimated production for the Pacific Coast is
1 million below last year and 4 million bushels below average*

Are Storages Adequate?- If the same proportion of the apple and
pear crop is placed in storage this year as last year, the peak stor-
age requirement will be about 38 million bushels. Refrigerated storage
houses of the country, which store apples and pears almost exclusively,
have a capacity of approximately 42 million bushels (table 2). How-
ever, on ITovember 1, last year, 9 million bushels of apples and pears
were being held in the general cold-storage houses, located principally
in the larger cities. Information to date indicates that more than 5
million bushels are already in these houses. Therefore, if the general
houses take only the quantity they took last year, this would leave
approximately 29 million bushels to be cared for in apple houses which
have a capacity of 13 million bushels in excess of that amount.

These general figures, however, do not reveal the actual storage situa-
tion in particular producing areas. As evidenced by the two maps on
page 2, most of the refrigerated apple storages are concentrated in the
heavy producing areas. Under normal conditions these facilities are
usually adequate for local needs, but when harvests are vmusually large,
their copacity som.etimes proves insufficient. For the country as a
whole, if storage facilities in each producing region v:ere adequate to
hold occasional record harvests, there would be much vinused capacity
under normal conditions. This means that in exceptionally/ good years
larger quantities must be moved to market or into storage outside the
local producing area.

Other Storage Factors.- Although large crops have been the main
reasons for local storage shortages, there have been other contributing
factors, (l) Curtailm.ent of motor transportation has tended to increase
the quantities going into storage, l.any passenger cars, and for that
matter coiuaeroial vehic-les, that transported apples to consuming centers
at this time of year are no longer operating, or if so, are not moving
the quantities they have in the past, (2) There has been a tendency
for some dealers vrho bought apples for storage in the large markets to
remain cut of the market on acco\Ant of price uncertainties. (3) In
some areas it appears likely that fear of storage space shortages has

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NEG. 42112 BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

resulted in reservations of space in excess of needs "by certain types
of dealers and shippers.

Storage Tight in Parts of New England and Lower Hudson Valley.-
Production of apples is especially heavy in Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, and Connecticut where the 1942 crop is estimated to be 1.7
million bushels more than last year. Thus in New England, particularly
in Ivlassachusetts, there appeals to be an acute shortage of storage space.
According to our estimates space for storing 582,000 bvishels will be
required in Massachusetts outside the apple houses (table 2). On Octo-
ber 1, 168,000 bushels (table 3) were reported in storage in the general
cold-storage houses which could hold an additional 255,000 bushels. This
would leave 159,000 bushels that would have to be moved to storages out-
side the State or into constmption.

Although the figtires for New York as a whole indicate svifficient space,
the situation in the lower Hudson Valley is comi»rable with the sit\ia-
tion in Massachusetts, although production in the western part of New
York State is below average. This has resulted in a shortage of stor-
age space in the lower Hudson Valley and excess space in the western
district.

IJichigan Crop Exceeds Capacity.- Even if all available cooler
space in the public warehouses in Michigan were completely utilized,
in addition to the space in the apple houses, these facilities would
not be adequate to take care of the State's 9.5 million-bushel crop,
which is a 17 percent increase over last year. It would be necessai^
to seek facilities across State lines.

Storage on Pacific, Except Oregon, Appears Adequate.- On the Paci-
fic Coast, although Washington' s crop is estimated to be 1 percent above
last year, it will fall 1.5 million bushels short of the 1934-39 average
of r.early 29 million bushels, California's production is expected to be
1.7 million bushels below last year's crop, and well below the State's
average of 6 million bushels. Storage space on the-West Coast appears
to be adequate in every State except Oregon. Oregon's production,
although up from last year, is still below average. In spite of this,
however, the small amount of available space in general cold-storage
houses in that State will necessitate the moving of a substantial quan-
tity of apples to other States for storage.

Yfhere Should Apples be Stored?- Apples may be stored at 4 points;
(l) In appl^ houses in the producing area, (2) In storage warehouses
in the market where they are to be sold, (s) In storages en route be-
tween producing region and market, and, (4) At points not on a direct
line between producing areas and markets.

In so far as possible, the most desirable points for storage are in

the producing areas, in the market, or en route to market. ^lith storage

-4'

at a prendum ncrw in some markets, it -woulcl seen desirable to fill local
facilities first. If these are inadequate, owners, in order to con-
serve transportation, should make an effort to store their fruit in the
normal line of movement, ^fhere space is tight, in the large markets-
such as the port cities, where demands for space are rather high because
of the war effort- it is desirable to store at some point en route.

Of course, if space is inadequate at all these points, it will then be
necessary to store at points off the route to market. This, however,
should be a last resort in view of the additional transportation re-
quired and the cost.

?/hat Has Been Done?- Early in the season many people feared there
would be a shortage of storage space for apples. This feeling was based
largely on rumors that cold-storage space was unusually scarce and the
expectations that production in some areas would be above normal. In
order to try to cope with this problem. Federal and State agencies have
7/orked with growers, shippers, and warehouse men in an effort to get a
clear picture of the situation and to see that persons with available
space and those vrith apples to store were brought together. Since the
storage problem is not the result of an actual shortage in cooler space,
but is essentially a need for getting together those who have apples to
store and those who have space for the storage of apples, efforts of
this kind should be helpful. Warehouse men were asked to check their
reservations carefully to be stire that apples will be coming to fill
their available space and to get in touch with the appropriate agencies
if they can handle additional quantities. Growers who requested infor-
mation were told where space is available.

Soon after November 1 the Agricultural Llarketing Administration will
issue another report showing for each State the space sitiaation as of
October 23. This report will show the total storage capacity, percen-
tage occupancy, and the number of bushels of apples that could be stored
in the unoccupied space. By referring to this report persons who have
apples to store will have the latest information on locations of available
storage space and thereby be in a position to place their products in
those places least disadvantageously located with respect to production
and market areas.

Table !•- Production of apples and pears in the Ifeiited States,
by State and geographic division for selected periods

State or geofrraphic
division

/Omnie
o

rcial pr
f apples

eduction

iZ

Production of pears l/

Avera£;e
1934-39

1941

: Indicated:
: 1942 2/:

Average ;
1930-39 : 1941

Indicated
1.942 2/

1000 bu. 1000 bu. 1000 bu. 1000 bu, 1000 bu, 1000 bu.

Faine, ¥. F. & Vt 1,746 1,930 2,447

T.'assachusetts 2,488 2,488 3,520

R. I, a Conn 1,627 1,662 2,387

New England 5,861 6,080 8,354

YevT York 16,183 16,302 17,250

New Jersey 3,404 2,632 3,397

Pennsylvania. 9,090 8,643 10,802

Fdddle Atlantic 28,677 27,577 51,449

Ohio, •• 4,998 6,000 6,300

Indiana 1,576 2,230 1,392

Illinois 3,071 3,410 2,970

Michigan 7,899 8,000 9,488

-fisconsin 610 810 638

East North Central.. 18,154 20,450 20,788

lannesota & Iowa........ 511 294 511

Missouri 1,501 1,504 1,075

N.D., S.D., Nebr. & Kans. 1,132 440 952

West North Central.. 3,144 2,238 2,538

Del., Md. & D.C 3,067 2,818 3,030

Va. 5: W.Va 15,402 16,088 18,726

N. ^: S. Carolina 1,009 1,505 1,145

Georgia & Florida 418 525 427

South Atlantic...... 19,896 20,936 23,328

Fy. & Tenn 581 1,046 446

Ala. k Iviss ••.

East South Central.. 581 1,046 446

West South Central., 771 964 616

Idaho 3,650 2,442 1,891

Other mountain states,., 3,021 3,120 2,925

Mountain 6,671 5,562 4,816

Washington ,,, 28,758 27,000 27,216

Oregon ., 3,414 2,471 2,774

California 7,872 7,735 6,061

Pacific 40,044 37,206 36,051

United States 123,798 122,386 128,386

28

20

25

71

48

45

66

84

96

165

152

166

1,284

848

1,251

71

44

66

609

350

472

1,964

1,242

1,789

592

392

417

306

224

217

505

515

432

1,065

1,284

1,245

-

2,468

-

2,415

mm

2,311

105

52

72

322

365

425

168

no

183

595

527

680

92

59

63

364

527

694

391

550

633

393

556

696

1,240

1,692

2,086

410

883

675

565

859

919

975

1,742

1,594

727

1,004

1,176

62

68

45

372

395

291

434

463

336

5,537

6,954

6,662

3,307

4,050

4,379

9,842

9,292

9,293

18,686

20,296

20,334

27,254

29,533

30,472

ly/ Reported by the Crop Reporting Board, Bureau of Agricultural Economics
z/ Indicated in the Crop Report as of October 1, 1942

o> <o CO lo
to at o lo
CO A « u>

M '4< r-l CD (O

CO CD CM ^ e>

' * lO 1-1 0>

a> r-t iO '
CM lO to M CM <D

r4 CM ^ ^ O

rH CM *

i (S -H
^ iH r-l

C- <0 CO rH O r-l <D

(O CO t- O to o> O

rH lO rH 0> CM CM Ot

fH t-

n CO

tOiHtO t- <H lO ^ <Jl C»<0O<0 OCMIOIO
lOcocM iotOiH«oo> r-^cM«a co toQ to

lOfHIO OlO^rHCM tOCMiHra O iH^ U>

8u> CO
o> at
at CM to

^ CM lO O fH

iH iH to <H rH to

I O CM

I CO
to ^

COI«OrHOIIt> I IAI»> IIO I ilOCO I

toiotiOf-«iic4il i icoiitocMi

rH 3 0> 3
. O iH £

<o u> to e>
ua c> to <o

to '<C CO <o

O <0 rH t>

00 (H ^ rH O
CO at to lO r-
lO rH <0 at

If o> o to coott&io'co

•* O 00 '

CM <0

CM lO rH rH CO

O CO n rH

(M CM (~ CM

t- CM (» t-

• « « *

CM to rH e-

O to <(■ rH «

rHt~C» t' U> to OtrHl

0<0l0 CMrHOICMCM U30
CM rH <M t- O rH

lO IM rH

^ <«■ OO CO

rH CD t- lO
CM t> '<l> «

^- CM to CM

CM o at to

U) C> (O CO
rH to rH

lOCOlOt-l COOIOCOQI OlOrHQ
OCOlO lOrHlrH MltOe-CMO
CMIO CO rHrHrHtOlO

M CM rH lO

rHIOtO t~ C~COOt CM CO^^Cp I •*

loott- ot otrHvo ^- O o a o i ^

tOCOOOOCM^-IOtOrHCMW^ to

« a> CO

to lO lO
lO o>
t« lA CO

<0 CM rH O

O^COCMIOaaU>CDOO>IOCOIrH ItHC^CO^Cn^lC-IOIlO

coioQCMoo^cMiO'^icototoio ia><oio4>iacoicooio

t-OO<0O<0rH00CM^-<^ai O CMrH'^'^'IO OCM CM

CM CM •* at rH to to

CM ot '«

to CO CO
u> at t>

4>

>

a •

• • o

» a o

^ -s •»

• « M

• n

e d •

a a «

►i S h"

S S2) Ai

■a

h
I

!

o

iB

■ g -3 t>

d O M g M

O ■rl ^
•»< -y rH _ -

9 -if

« 5

* S

• o

.o U

ta U o
o

•3 -3

HI Q -P
•t) Vi 00

a S H

_ - • CQ rH

rH • O •
e K • «

Q > a u

5

3 -
O EH

• la CO CO

II

1 15

■ O rH

» o u

:1 ^

e 3

m

I

-7

1^

it

I

it

•H

3

ii

0

^* W* ^ ^* 0?

Ca J CM 0»

•Sil 32882 IS JS^S^r'sSJa- IMIgSS S

M* ^ ^ a?

aHI BSS Swiss's »H~isr5i-^~l»a~8il i

2 JSSSSJSSSIS ISSS^iS-l S « - SI 38?5 ^ g

I ^ u? t.* ^r ^ ^ J^^r^• v

I

9 -i

'J .

I . I « 2 I f

'3

9 8

I

iii in ilail las siL- II lii