Apples are available at record prices – imports are replacing the missing domestic crop

According to data from the Institute of Agricultural Economics, in August 2025 the retail price of apples reached 859 forints per kilogram, which is 60 percent higher than in the spring of 2023. The fruit already crossed the psychological threshold of 800 forints in July, and according to experts, an average price of 1,000 forints is not unthinkable in the coming months.

According to Lajos Braunmüller, editor-in-chief of Agrárszektor, the domestic apple sector has been burdened by serious structural problems for years. The increasingly frequent spring frosts are regularly decimating the crop, while the structure and technology of production are unable to respond effectively to climatic challenges. Most plantations are old, and due to the lack of modern irrigation, ice protection and plant protection solutions, a significant part of the crop is only suitable for industrial processing.

Domestic production has not covered domestic consumption for years, so traders are increasingly making up for the deficit with imports – primarily from Poland, Italy and Spain. The increase in the import share does stabilize supply, but prices cannot be expected to fall in the short term.

According to experts, the effects of climate change will permanently rewrite the future of Hungarian fruit production. Production security can be increased by modernization, variety change and the development of irrigation, but these are investment-intensive solutions. Until this is achieved, consumers will continue to encounter higher prices and an increasing number of apples from abroad in stores.