ABSTRACT
Apple is by no means a fundamental crop for human subsistence, and in many instances it could be considered a superfluous addition to the diet. As such, production historically has been dominated by countries with economic systems that could provide investment income to establish orchards and a populace with sufficient disposable income to purchase such a nonessential food item. As production costs have become primary and transportation costs have waned as elements contributing to the economic viability of production systems, there has been a shift in the relative importance in the regions of apple production.
