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USDA: Number of NY apple trees on the rise

Federal agriculture statistics show the number of apple trees in New York grew by 22 percent from 2006 to 2011. WAMC’s Dave Lucas has more

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says there were 11.6 million trees last year, compared to 9.46 million five years earlier.

The agency says the acreage under cultivation dropped by 2 percent, but farmers are increasing the number of trees they grow per acre.

It says the greatest increase has been in Honey Crisp trees, which more than doubled in number. Also popular with growers were Empire, McIntosh and Zestar.

Niagara County showed the greatest increase in acreage at 25 percent. Acreage in Columbia County dropped 14 percent and Orange County saw a 23 percent decline.

© 2012 AP

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.