Fruit growing is in crisis: There is no supply and rising costs are affecting the sector

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 09. 23. 12:45

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Across Europe, fewer and fewer people see the future in fruit growing, which has serious consequences for the sector. Farmers are getting old, and in many cases there is no one to take over the production from them. This is particularly worrying, as fruit growers are in a much more vulnerable position than, for example, vegetable growers, who can change their crops every year. Fruit plantations require decades of investment, so farmers cannot quickly adapt to market changes.

György Csizmadia, the owner of Venyim Gyümölcse Kerteszet, who is also interested in two producer organizations (TÉSZ), highlighted the need for technological development – reports the Agricultural Sector. Ice nets, rain protection foils and modern technologies help to minimize production risks, but they require significant investments. Innovations such as solar panels combined with ice nets, which help to shade crops and generate energy, are playing an increasingly important role.

However, in addition to the advantages of modern technology, the lack of labor and its quality is also a serious problem. Csizmadia illustrated the situation with an example: the cost of picking one kilogram of apples was HUF 60, which is too high, especially when apples are sold at HUF 180. Mechanization is essential to improve efficiency, but it is only worthwhile for larger plant sizes.