The spring frosts did not have an effect on the Polish apple production. According to Mohamed Marawan, owner of Polish apple exporter Sarafruit, this means that volumes will be similar to last year, except for Red Prince apples.
“When speaking in general, everything is perfectly fine in terms of the Polish weather conditions. The spring frost has not amounted to anything significant, both in quantity as well as quality. When we take a look at the trees the volumes look similar to last year for Golden and Gala varieties. However, when speaking on the Red Prince apples, volumes will be lower everywhere in Poland. This is mostly because these trees gave a lot of apples last season, and will simply produce less this year.”
For Sarafruit’s orchards, it won’t matter much if the current dry spell continues. However, rain is expected very soon anyways, he says: “Recently the weather in Poland has been rather dry, without any rains. Our irrigation system covers that though, so we don’t have to worry about there being rain or not. For those without irrigation systems the problem seems to be solved soon, as rain is coming today as well as the rest of the coming week. Sarafruit will cultivate our usual varieties as well as some new ones, like Red Cap and Golden varieties.”
Marawan states that the overall apple acreage in Poland is very slightly decreasing, though not at a worrying pace. Some of the growers are planting new varieties, replacing older varieties as well. “The apple cultivation in Poland is declining slightly, which could mean that some farmers are cutting old varieties, while not growing any new varieties or use the land for other farming practices. Other orchards are adding land to it, so overall it’s not a steep decline, just a small decrease in total Polish acreage for apples.”
When asked what alternatives there are for Marawan, as the Egyptian market has been unavailable for exports last year, he feels India has performed really well the past season: “One of the markets that has been doing exceptionally well is the Indian Market. This is also a reason why some Polish apple growers are changing their varieties, so they can cater to this market better. It means more club varieties in general, but time will show us how important this market can be for Polish apples. I, myself, will never ever leave the Egyptian market. We’re too well known in this region and we export large amounts to Egypt. I think this market will recover soon, we just need some more time. Meanwhile we’ll continue investing, as we’re building a new pack and sorting house with new cooling logistical capabilities in the governorate of Bialystok, which is the north eastern part of Poland.”
Mohamed Marawan
Sarafruit
Tel: +48 537 935 155
Email: [email protected]
www.sarafruit.eu