Chairman of the Fruit Producers Union, Martin Ludvik, shared alarming news about last year's fruit harvest in the Czech Republic, marking it as the worst in the past six years. Stone fruits suffered due to raw and cold weather during flowering.
While there is a significant quantity of apples in storage, other fruit varieties, including blackcurrants and gooseberries, have ceased industrial-scale cultivation.
Prices for Czech apples range from 0.8 to 1.4 euros when purchased directly from farmers, but consumers face a considerable difference in stores, where the cheapest apples, mainly Polish, are sold for 2.4 -2.8 euros per kilogram.
Ludvik underscores that Czech fruit prices are influenced by imports, with approximately half of apples, 75% of pears, and 90% of raspberries, strawberries, peaches, and apricots being imported. Despite a record pear harvest last year, prices have not seen a decline.
The reduction in orchard area and the disappearance of over a thousand hectares of orchards during the winter also contribute to the decline in the harvest.
Ludvik points out that apples, black currants, and peaches are among the fruits facing diminished cultivation. For instance, only 200 tons of peaches are now grown on 150 hectares out of the previous 10-12,000 tons.
The future of fruit production will be discussed by experts during the Czech Fruit Days.
source: aroundprague.cz