Washington Business Winter 2020 | Washington Business | Seite 37

A new apple variety bred and grown in Washington
hit store shelves on Dec.1, with much fanfare. The
Cosmic Crisp apple was developed over many years
by Washington State University. But its success
would have been impossible without a $500 million
investment by Washington’s apple industry.
The Washington wave has arrived.
All across America, a new apple variety called the Cosmic
Crisp is changing the way we eat.
The crisp, juicy and colorful apple, with just the
right mix of sweetness and tartness, hit the market
late last year.
Its arrival was advanced with extraordinary fanfare, and
genuine consumer excitement. Imagine the agricultural
equivalent of a new Beatles album. A real live applemania.
But this wave of new apples has not crested yet.
Industry analysts predict 465,000 boxes this year. That
could jump to 21.5 million boxes in just seven years.
There’s even better news beyond the excitement.
Many of the profits will come back to Washington, and
strengthen the economy in every city and county. Major
investments are ongoing. The overall economic impact
will easily pass into the billions over time.