Why Honeycrisp apples are so expensive

Why Honeycrisp apples are so expensive | WOODTV.com:
"SPARTA, Mich. (WOOD) — Fall in Michigan means apples.
In the last dozen years or so, there has been one apple that stands out from the rest — Honeycrisp.
Honeycrisp apple lovers have suffered severe sticker shock at the grocery store.
Oftentimes, Honeycrisps are more than four times as expensive as other varieties of apples.
.....There are many reasons that add to the cost of Honeycrisp apples, and it all starts on the farm.
The Honeycrisp variety was developed by the University of Minnesota, which still holds the patent. So for every Honeycrisp yielding tree a grower buys, they have to pay a $1 royalty to the University of Minnesota.
That’s not the case for more common and older varieties like Red Delicious.
The trees which grow Honeycrisp apples are relatively weak and yield very large fruit, so they require a trellis system to hold them up and keep their branches from breaking or hitting the ground.