Apple production in Wisconsin fell 54 percent in 2012, leaving the yield at its lowest level since 1945.
The National Agriculture Statistics Service collected the figures. It reports that apple growers here harvested, in weight, three tons less per acre than in 2011.
The industry blames last year's unusual weather. March featured a heat wave that caused apple trees to bloom prematurely, but then frost hit in April, killing many blossoms. A summer drought followed, worsening conditions in orchards.
The Wisconsin Apple Growers Association says it hopes conditions are more seasonal in 2013 – particularly in spring, so trees remain dormant until the threat of frost retreats.
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