Commercial apple production in the Southeast is concentrated in the Appalachian mountain regions of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. More than 60 percent of the approximately 10,000 acres in the region is located in North Carolina, the country's seventh- largest apple producing state.

The crop is grown for both fresh market and processing, although in recent years much of new or replanted acreage has gone to fresh market production. Fruit is sold both wholesale and retail through numerous roadside stands.

The Southeastern apple industry is supported by a team of research and extension personnel at North Carolina State University in the Departments of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Horticultural Science. The focus of the Integrated Fruit Production program is to help ensure the production of safe and high quality fruit, develop and implement modern horticultural and pest management programs, and to prepare the industry for anticipated changes in regulatory and marketing programs.