Apple harvest and prices: further shortages and price increases are expected during the season

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 09. 06. 11:58

According to FruitVeb’s forecast, the 2024 apple harvest may decrease significantly in Hungary, which predicts a 10-15 percent increase in the price of edible apples on store shelves. This season, 300,000-350,000 tons of apples are expected, but only 100,000 tons of them will be of edible quality, while the domestic demand is around 110,000 tons.

In the area of industrial apples, the deficit will be even greater, as the processing plants could process 400,000 tons per year, but the harvest does not cover this. The missing quantity is expected to be imported. Due to weather conditions, some of the edible apples may end up in the industrial segment due to quality deterioration, further complicating the situation.

According to FruitVeb, strong Austrian, Czech and Polish demand can be expected, due to which the producers can sell the better quality Hungarian apples to foreign markets, thus further reducing the domestic supply. This may result in more foreign, possibly lower-quality apples being available in Hungarian stores.

Due to climate change, Hungarian apple producers are facing increasing challenges. Due to drought and excessive heat, the fruits do not reach the right size, ripen quickly and fall, so it is difficult to use them even for industrial apples. Some of the Hungarian cultivation systems are outdated, which further complicates the situation.

This season therefore holds challenges not only for the producers, but also for the consumers, as the increase in the price of apples and the uncertainty of the supply in the stores can be expected.