The apple harvest has started: Domestic growers in all parts of Germany are now picking crisp, fresh apples again. And the harvest prospects, although not good, are still better than in 2017, which was a historically poor apple year due to the weather. Although only around 734,000 tonnes of apples are expected to be harvested this year due to the cool and wet weather - that's 15.7 per cent less than last year - there are still more than enough to fill supermarket shelves and warehouses. In total, local apple growers cultivate around 34,000 hectares of apples between the Altes Land and Lake Constance. This means that around 70 per cent of the area under tree fruit cultivation is accounted for by apples, the four most important growing areas of which are in Baden-Württemberg (approx. 12,000 hectares), in the Altes Land near Hamburg (approx. 8,500 hectares), on the Lower Rhine and in the Dresden area.
A look at the growing regions
The fact that apple growing is sometimes not an easy task for producers has already been demonstrated in the past. In 2017, for example, the harvest was a third lower than usual due to the late spring frosts - because the blossoms were already freezing. In order to prevent such climatic extremes, which generally only affect parts of the country, apple growers are often forced to accept additional costs and extra effort for additional irrigation, hail nets, frost protection and sprinkler systems. This year, the south-eastern federal states were hit hardest by the adverse weather conditions.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania/Schleswig-Holstein
Dr Rolf Hornig from the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania/Schleswig-Holstein Agricultural Advisory Service (LMS) says: "We are expecting an apple harvest of around 25,000 tonnes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania this year. That is almost exactly the same as the average of the last five years (25,239 tonnes) and an increase of almost 15 per cent compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, it is important to take a very differentiated view of the bare figures. The frosty nights from 17 to 18 April and from 20 to 23 April caused considerable damage locally and depending on the variety in central Mecklenburg, eastern Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania. The impact is great there, especially as the quality of the remaining fruit is impaired by the characteristic frost rings. But in West Mecklenburg, where most of the apple trees are located, the nights cooled down less during the period mentioned, so we got off lightly there and can speak of a normal harvest for the entire state."
Hans-Jörg Elvers, Managing Director of the Mecklenburger Ernte grower organisation, adds: "In organic farming, which produces 69 per cent of the apples produced, scab control was and is a huge challenge in this rainy year. We also saw localised fruit damage from hailstorms."
Lake Constance:
The situation at Lake Constance is very different. Janina Bembenek, Head of Marketing at Obst vom Bodensee, summarises the situation as follows: "After a very successful 2023/2024 season, we are expecting an excellent harvest, both in terms of quality and quantity. With an above-average harvest volume at Lake Constance, large calibres and very good internal and external fruit quality, we can look forward to a good start to the harvest. We are optimistic about the next marketing season and the prospects on the market are equally optimistic. Despite a Germany-wide decline in the harvest, we can offer continuity on the market and continue to offer consumers very good apples from regional and domestic production, which impress with their added value, particularly in terms of their commitment to biodiversity and species protection. This year's harvest has developed excellently with a 13 per cent increase and the Lake Constance climate has also created a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Apples from Lake Constance are characterised by a special sweetness that only finds its way into the apple here thanks to the unique climatic conditions."
Altes Land:
Jens Anderson, Head of Marketing, Elbe-Obst Erzeugerorganisation describes the situation in the north as follows: "Based on the available data from Prognosfruit, the Altes Land will probably contribute around 1/3 of the expected German harvest volume for the 24/25 season ahead of us. Nevertheless, harvest expectations for the whole of Germany are down on the previous year. However, the analyses carried out by the testing station have shown that we will have excellent fruit colour and consistency. The internal and external quality will be outstanding."
"In the Altes Land region, good water availability has become a very important location factor. For a long time now, Europe's northernmost growing region has been investing in frost protection irrigation with river water on commercial fruit orchards almost across the board. This is because frost during blossoming is obligatory in the Altes Land. Irrigation in spring (frost) and summer (sunburn) therefore secures the harvest in the Altes Land. So frost was not the problem this spring on the Lower Elbe, but the cool, damp weather led to lower bee pollination activity."
Pfalz:
Hans-Jörg Friedrich, Managing Director of the Palatinate Market for Fruit and Vegetables, reports: "This year, we started the local apple harvest particularly early in the Palatinate, in our fruit-growing areas in the Southern Palatinate near Kandel. The market-relevant apple varieties Elstar, Gala, Jonagold, Braeburn and Delicious are gradually being harvested. This year, the season will run from the beginning of July until probably October. The main reason for the early start is the mild climate in our growing region, which specialises in fruit and is currently expecting a positive season for the current growing year."
Rhineland:
Arthur Heinze, Head of Fruit Sales at Landgard Obst & Gemüse, is looking forward to this year's apple season: "We were able to start marketing the early variety Delbar Estival on time in week 33. Our main variety Elstar followed a week later. Due to the weather conditions in the Bornheim region, the Elstar harvest started ten days earlier than usual this year. The next variety will be Gala, followed by other main varieties such as Boskoop, Jonagold, Braeburn, Pinova, Wellant and Evelina. However, the harvest volumes in the Rhineland will unfortunately be lower than last year due to the frost in May and increased hail damage. Our growers therefore expect their harvest volume to be 50 to 60 per cent of a normal year. Our new club variety Evelina is doing very well in terms of yield and has coped well with all the capricious weather conditions in recent months. We are therefore very positive about the upcoming marketing of this variety and hope that our customers will also recognise the quality of the apple and appreciate it in the new season."
Saxony-Anhalt:
Like many of his colleagues in central Germany, fruit grower Klaus Friedrich from Eisleben was affected by the late frost on the night of 22 to 23 May. He initially assumed that the apple harvest on 32 hectares would be a total failure. It didn't turn out that bad. "We will harvest around a third of a normal apple crop," estimates Friedrich. He will be able to sell more than 90 per cent as dessert fruit. However, other fruit growers in the region have been hit harder. "The apple harvest losses in Saxony-Anhalt are between 70 and 100 per cent," says Jörg Geithel, Chairman of the Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt Fruit Growers' Association. Overall, the harvest will probably only be 20 per cent of the previous year's level. In addition, the apples on many other farms are also damaged. They have so-called frostbite and can only be processed into cider.