The harvest starts earlier: we can expect a weaker apple yield in Hungary this year

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 08. 27. 11:12

This year, the harvest can start earlier than ever before in domestic apple orchards, especially in Hungary’s largest growing region, the county of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, where the purchase of fresh apples has already begun. However, according to the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy and the Hungarian Fruit and Vegetable Association (FruitVeB), this year’s harvest is below average and will not be sufficient to fully satisfy the needs of the domestic food and processing industry.

Weaker yield, smaller fruits

According to the estimates of the professional organizations, this year, approximately 150,000 tons less apples can be harvested on domestic plantations than last year. The amount of food-grade apples is expected to be around 90-100 thousand tons, while industrial apples can amount to 220-240 thousand tons. This is a serious challenge, considering that the demand of the domestic apple market is 110,000 tons, while the capacity of the processing industry is around 400,000 tons.

One of the main reasons for the decrease in yield is drought and heat, which also affects the size of the fruits. The smaller size will be typical especially in the case of varieties with already small fruit, which poses a challenge for the table apple market.

The weather-dependent outcome of the harvest

The actual amount that can be harvested can be greatly affected by the weather during the harvest period. According to experts, in the best case, the yield may exceed 350 thousand tons, but if the weather conditions are unfavorable, the final yield may not even reach 300 thousand tons.

This year’s weather conditions have put farmers in a particularly difficult position, having to deal with almost every possible weather hazard, including extreme rainfall distribution, spring frosts, and prolonged summer heatwaves.