Preliminary estimate of the fruit yield from trees in 2024 in Poland
According to the assessment of GUS experts, the past winter did not cause significant damage to orchards. However, high air temperatures in the first months of the year significantly accelerated vegetation, with trees starting it 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. In April, weather conditions deteriorated significantly in Poland due to consecutive waves of frost. Another wave hit the orchards in May, negatively impacting fruit yields. Late spring and early summer brought abundant rainfall, increasing pressure from pests and diseases. In other regions of the country, rainfall was too low, negatively affecting fruit size.
As a result, there is a large variation in yields in different regions of the country. Generally, estimates indicate lower harvests, especially of early fruits. For later fruits, final harvest sizes will depend on weather conditions in the coming weeks.
The harvest of fruits from trees in 2024 has been preliminarily estimated by GUS experts at 3.6 million tons, which is 17% more than in 2023. However, the final result may differ from these initial estimates, as it will be strongly correlated with agrometeorological conditions in the subsequent months of vegetation.
Apple harvest is this time estimated by GUS at slightly over 3.2 million tons. This would be around 18% less than last year's production, which GUS calculated at 3.9 million tons.
The initial forecast for the pear harvest indicates a quantity of 74.2 thousand tons, representing a 6% decrease year-on-year. In 2023, pear harvests were precisely 79 thousand tons.
The plum harvest has been preliminarily estimated at 106.2 thousand tons, which is a significant 16% less than last year when the harvest was 127 thousand tons. Weather conditions strongly affected these fruits, negatively impacting the yields.
The production of cherries has been preliminarily estimated at over 127 thousand tons, a whopping 25% lower compared to 2023 when the harvest was 169 thousand tons.
The initial forecast for the sour cherry harvest is 52.1 thousand tons, a significant 24% lower than last year when it was close to 69 thousand tons.
According to preliminary estimates, the total harvest of other species of fruits from trees (such as peaches, apricots, and walnuts) is expected to be just under 14.4 thousand tons, which is a significant 27% lower than last year. Additionally, there are 2.3 thousand tons of fruits from trees such as serviceberries, viburnum, rowan, shadbush, and quince, which is approximately 20% less year-on-year.