Hail and drought impact Belgian summer apples; Portugal expects strong export season

Hailstorms and drought have severely damaged Belgium's early summer apple crop, while Portugal anticipates a high-quality apple harvest unaffected by this year's European heatwaves.

In Belgium, the summer apple variety Sissired has suffered significant losses due to hail, with approximately 50% of the crop downgraded to Grade II quality because of blemishes and marks. Harvest began in early August, and the affected fruit is expected to fetch lower prices at auction due to quality issues. Persistent drought continues to impact orchards, especially on higher ground, limiting fruit size and overall yield potential for both apples and pears.

Portuguese apple growers report favorable conditions for the 2026 season. Unlike much of Europe, Portugal avoided severe heatwaves, and rainfall earlier in the year replenished soil moisture. Exporters expect good volumes, excellent color, and strong storage potential for the new crop. Increased packing and sorting capacity is anticipated to improve the ability to meet export market requirements, particularly for coloration, size, and firmness.

The Portuguese export focus at the start of the season is on Asian markets, but European and Middle Eastern destinations, including Poland, remain important. Market competition is expected to be high due to overlapping stocks from Latin America and early marketing by Italian, French, and Spanish producers, who face concerns about storage quality following their own heatwaves. Initial forecasts suggest lower Polish apple production this season, but the full impact on European supply and pricing remains uncertain.

In Belgium, ongoing drought is expected to persist with little significant rainfall forecast for the next ten days. The limited ability to irrigate all plots is contributing to smaller fruit sizes, which may affect export quality and competitiveness in European markets.

Early season market dynamics suggest that southern and western European suppliers, notably Portugal, may gain a competitive advantage in export markets due to superior fruit quality and storage potential compared to hail- and heat-affected northern producers. This may affect the availability and pricing of apples imported into Poland and other Central European markets.

Material prepared by the editorial team of fresh-market.info, editor Artur Spiker · Illustrative image generated by AI