NPR Blames Climate Change For New York Apple Harvest Woes, But The Evidence Disagrees
Apple production and yields are up 35% since 1980, while late-spring frosts have become less frequent.
by Linnea Lueken September 28, 2026, 8:53 AM i
A recent interview from NPR affiliate WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s “Northeast Notebook” titled “Apple growers confront climate change, fuel challenges for 2026 harvest” blames low apple production in New York on “increasingly unpredictable” weather. [some emphasis, links added]
This story is promoting a factually inaccurate narrative. If climate change were harming New York apple production, there would be evidence in long-term production and yields, but there isn’t.
WAMC published a transcript of an interview-style report with Hudson Valley apple growers, who WAMC says “encountered a late April frost, skyrocketing diesel prices, and a federal crackdown on foreign labor in 2026,” creating “uncertain economic conditions.”
Sam Dingman, a reporter for WAMC’s Northeast Notebook, claimed that apple farmers need to guard “against unexpected losses from increasingly unpredictable spring weather,” ultimately blaming climate change for allegedly worsening growing conditions for apple farmers in New York.
https://climatechangedispatch.com/npr-new-york-apple-growers-climate-change/
