Mechanically Harvesting Hard Cider Apples Is More Economically Favorable than Hand Harvesting, Regardless of Farm Scale

• Published in: HortTechnology (Alexandria, Va.) Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 359 - 368
• Main Authors: Karl, Adam, Knickerbocker, Whitney, Peck, Gregory
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria American Society for Horticultural Science 01.08.2022; American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)
• Subjects: Apples; Cider; ciders; Cost control; Cultivars; Europe; Farms; Fruits; Harvest; Harvesting; Hydraulics; labor; Machinery; Malus domestica; malus ×domestica; Migrant workers; New York; Orchards; partial budget; Sensitivity analysis; Trees; New York; United States > US; North America; Europe

Harvesting labor is the largest annual variable operating expense for apple ( Malus × domestica ) orchard enterprises and is subject to escalating costs and shortages. In Europe, much of the cider apple harvesting is done with machinery, greatly reducing production costs. However, despite a rapid in...