Fruit growers on Lake Constance are expecting a harvest of 247,000 tonnes this year, an increase of 13% compared to last year. The quality is very good, with large calibres, good firmness and a balanced sugar-acid ratio. On Thursday, 29 August, the fruit growers celebrated the official opening of this year's apple season at the Auto & Traktor Museum Bodensee in Uhldingen-Mühlhofen with a positive outlook for the future.
Excellent harvest despite climatic challenges
In his review of the season, Thomas Heilig, Chairman of Obstregion Bodensee e.V., reports on a challenging season. Nevertheless, the fruit growers from Lake Constance managed to get an excellent harvest on the trees. Due to the mild winter, the vegetation started early and brought with it the risk of late frosts, which gave the fruit growers tense nights at the end of April. Fortunately, the cloudy skies around the lake meant that temperatures were not too critical and the Lake Constance region - unlike other growing regions in Germany - was largely spared frost damage.
This was followed by a very wet year with constant rainfall. On the one hand, this provided enough water for the fruit to grow well and the apples to be of a good size. On the other hand, the farms also had to contend with storms, some with hail, as well as flooding and orchards that were difficult to navigate.
Regional fruit ensures a healthy diet in Germany
In this context, Erich Röhrenbach, also Chairman of Obstregion Bodensee e.V., emphasises the need for a professional fruit production with good protection systems, such as hail nets, plant protection and irrigation options, to ensure a good supply of local fruit for the population. "Thanks to the skills of the fruit growers, the professional protection systems and a bit of luck, which you always need when working with nature, we have once again managed to secure a great harvest," explains the Chairman and calls on people to pay attention to the local origin when buying fruit. In addition to the short transport routes, which have a positive effect on the CO2 balance and the promotion of biodiversity by the fruit-growing families, this also contributes to the preservation of family farms in our region and the maintenance of our beautiful cultural landscape.
13% increase in harvest at Lake Constance with very good quality
The estimated harvest volume of apples from Lake Constance for autumn 2024 is 247,000 tonnes. This is 13% higher than the previous year's harvest and above the average of the last five years. This means that the harvest volume at Lake Constance is even around 20,000 tonnes higher than the estimate for northern Germany. For Germany as a whole, an expected apple volume of 793,000 tonnes is estimated, which corresponds to a decrease of around 16% compared to the previous year. Across Europe, apple production is expected to total 10.2 million tonnes (- 11%).
In the report on this year's harvest forecast and the outlook for the market, Dr Egon Treyer, Managing Director of Marktgemeinschaft Bodenseeobst e.G., reports that in contrast to Lake Constance, where the harvest has increased compared to the previous year and a large volume is expected, the German and European harvest volume is lower than in the previous year due to frost events and this year's weather conditions. The highest individual volume in the Lake Constance estimate is the popular Elstar variety with almost 46,000 tonnes, followed by Gala Royal with around 36,000 tonnes and Braeburn with 30,000 tonnes.
The three varieties of the Jona group (Jonagold, Jonagored, Red Jonaprince), which are predominantly marketed in the second half of the season, are up by 8% at Lake Constance and therefore account for a good 60,000 tonnes in the apple orchards around Lake Constance. The so-called club varieties (in particular Kanzi®, KIKU®, Evelina®, Cameo®, Greenstar®, Fräulein®, SweeTango®, Rockit®, Magic Star®) are due for harvest with an increase of 12% and an impressive 50,000 tonnes. "With the quantitatively and qualitatively good harvest at Lake Constance, we are therefore meeting a receptive German market and can continuously and reliably offer high-quality apples from domestic production," reported Dr Treyer.
Due to the early vegetation this year, the harvest started a few days earlier than in other years. The firmness of the apples is good, with good sugar levels and a balanced sugar-acid ratio, for which the Lake Constance region is known. Due to the expected temperature differences - warm during the day and cool at night - the apples also get a very nice colouring. Around 22,500 tonnes (+15%) of the table apples are expected for organic apple production on Lake Constance, which accounts for just under 11% of total apple production in the Lake Constance region. In Europe, only 182,000 tonnes of table apples are estimated to be available, down 16% on the previous year.
Unequal competitive conditions for German fruit production
In addition to the optimistic view of the market, Erich Röhrenbach also reports on the current difficult conditions for the German fruit production. The statutory minimum wage is already overstretching the profitability of labour-intensive special crops. A further significant increase, which is expected to be discussed in the upcoming election campaign, is not feasible for many farms without special regulations. This is due in particular to the unequal competitive conditions compared to competitors from Poland or Italy, for example, where the statutory minimum wage is around half as high, or even non-existent in Italy. However, sales prices are formed in European competition. With a self-sufficiency rate of only 57 per cent for apples, Germany is a key market for European and non-European countries and domestic apples with their added value are in constant price competition with cheaper offers.
For more information:
www.obst-vom-bodensee.de
www.mg-bodenseeobst.de