The links I have read are pretty consistent on the subject: Apple orchard production peaks at about ten years and diminishes after about fifteen. One link said that the orchard should last 20-25 years but the economists seem to be consistent about lost potential in keeping older trees.
Is it possible that the orchard you're talking about is an old orchard, but the trees are continually in replacement, or the orchard is just a tax shelter and no one is too concerned about production level?
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Costs stabilize after the 10-year mark, and then, depending on variety, profits peak and slowly decrease between years 10 and 15 as yields begin to dwindle on aging trees.
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http://www.growermagazine.com/home/02-04Orchard.html
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A small crop is often harvested the year after planting and, because trees have so little space to fill, peak production is usually achieved during the 6th or 7th year after planting.
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http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/treefrui...24/422-024.html
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Life expectancy of an orchard is unknown but in Saskatchewan it is likely less than 20 years for most varieties.
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http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/shelterbelt/shbpub52.htm
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PDF: An apple orchard should
last for 20–25 years
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http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/A3560.PDF
Regards,
Matt