Fruit growers in Poland already thinking about next apple season

Time does not stand still, and although the Polish apple market is only at the beginning of the second half of the marketing season, producers of this fruit are already analysing the opportunities and risks of the next season. And there are indications that this season will not be easy.

And yet the current season has not been a bed of roses for apple growers either. Although a relatively low harvest (also in Europe) has ensured relatively higher prices for the second season in a row, apple growers are facing many challenges. These include quality and storage problems. It must be remembered that conditions during the harvest were not favourable and this is reflected in the condition of apples in storage. Then there is the continuing pandemic and its impact on staff availability, logistics and demand.

As for the coming season, the biggest unknown is traditionally the weather. In January this year winter finally came to Poland with sub-zero temperatures, but there were no very large drops in daily temperatures in the apple-producing regions. We will see what happens next.

And fruit growers are pointing out that, after two seasons of lower yields, fruit trees have "rested" and, if the weather does not affect the fall in yields, Europe is facing a season rich in apples. A price collapse analogous to that following the 2018 harvest could therefore occur. For an industry, after all, weakened by the pandemic, this would be a big blow.