The U.S. Apple Crop: Core Facts  (From the USApple Association.  http://www.usapple.org/)

About 2,500 known varieties of apples are grown in the United States. More than 7,500 are grown worldwide.

• Nearly 100 varieties are grown commercially in the United States, but a total of 15 popular varieties account for over 90 percent of 1999 production:
  

• Up-and-coming "new" varieties include Cameo, Ginger Gold, Honey Crisp and Pink Lady.
  
• The largest U.S. apple crop on record, of 277.3 million cartons, was harvested in 1998.
  
• An estimated 9,000 U.S. apple growers managed orchards covering 453,200 acres in 1997, trailing only oranges and grapes in the amount of U.S. acreage commited to fruit production.
  
• In 1999, the average U.S. consumer ate an estimated 18.7 pounds of fresh apples, and 29.7 pounds of processed apples, for a total of 48.4 pounds of apples and apple products. In 1998, average per-capita consumption was 48.4 pounds of apples and apple products.
  
• Fifty-six percent of the 1999 U.S. apple crop was eaten as fresh fruit, 42 percent was processed into apple products, and 2 percent was not marketed.
  
• Of the 42 percent of apples that were processed, 23 percent were used for juice and cider; 3 percent were dried; 2 percent were frozen; and 13 percent were canned. Other uses included baby food, apple butter or jelly, and vinegar.
  
• U.S. apple growers received an average of 21.2 cents per pound for fresh-market apples from the 1999 crop, up from 17.3 cents per pound in 1998.
  
• The United States was the world's second-largest producer of apples in 1999, behind the People's Republic of China. Turkey, Italy and France complete the list of the world's top-five apple producing countries in 1999.
  
• Exports of fresh-market apples from the 1999 crop totalled 28.2 million bushels, or 20 percent of the total U.S. fresh-market crop. Imports in that same year totalled 8.9 million bushels, resulting in a positive balance of fresh-apple trade.
  
• Exports of U.S. apples have been increasing dramatically over the past decade, due to liberalization of export markets, increased disposable income in developing countries, and substantial industry export promotion efforts. Leading markets for U.S. apples include Mexico, Taiwan, Canada and Indonesia.
  
• The 2000 apple crop was forecasted on Aug. 11, 2000 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be 254.2 million 42-pound cartons (Table 2). USApple's 2000 crop forecast, issued Aug. 18, 2000, was 238.9 million cartons. Total apple production in 1999 was 252 million cartons, valued at farm-gate at $1.5 billion.
  
• Apples are grown in every state in the continental United States, and are grown commercially in 36 states. Top-producing states include Washington, New York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Virginia. (See the Table 2, below, for each state's production rate.)