- 8 - 

 THE FALL MOVEMENT OF APPLES 



The Mcintosh marketing situation has changed a great deal in the past five 

 years. Two important shifts in out -of -storage movement have taken place with the 

 development of controlled atmosphere storage. 



1) The season has been extended by about 12 weeks (from April 1 to June 30) 



2) The quantity of apples to be sold in the fall has been reduced by approx- 

 imately the amount to be sold in the spring. 



The first shift was spectacular and was Inmediately recognized and utilized 

 to the advantage of the industry. 



The second shift has occurred without much fan- fare and in fact has hardly 

 been noticed. The chart below illustrates the change in marketing pattern. 



Without C.A., in a year like this one (1961-62), a weekly out -of -storage 

 movement into consumption would have reached a peak of 130,000 bushels a week, 

 during the four weeks between November 15 and December 15. With C.A., this move- 

 ment has dropped to about 83 « 000 bushels a week. 



The effect of this decrca^te in fall movement and lengthening of marketing 

 season is an improvement in the marketing position of the standard storage apples 

 in the fall. A difficulty arises in that a smaller rate of consumer use is estab- 

 lished in the fall with the possibility of a lower usage rate throughout the 

 remainder of the season. A great deal of emphasis thus is placed upon the crlsp- 

 ness of C.A. apples in order to maintain a movement of 30,000 bushels a week from 

 the middle of January to the middle of April. A good fall movement of apples is 

 of considerable importance to the entire apple marketing operation. 



Bu. Weekly (000) 



our OF STORAGE MOVEMENT WITH AND WITHOUT C.A. 

 Massachusetts Mcintosh 



SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE 

 Total Stored Crop = 1,732,000 



