Overall, volumes seem to be lower at the start of the European apple season. Top fruit picking is in full swing in the Netherlands. Demand for both Conference and Elstar is good and consumers are making repeat purchases. The fruit is also in shops at a nice price. Belgium, for instance, sees sharply lower volumes this year, but this could give more room on the market. In Germany most all growing areas are expecting a smaller harvest than last year. The only exception is the Bodensee region, where the latest estimate is for a 13% increase in volume compared to last year. High temperatures significantly impacted the Greek apple production. The trees did not receive the required hours of cold temperatures, because they had a warm winter. There was also a prolonged heat wave with over 42 degrees Celsius for several days in July. This had a negative impact on the size of the fruit, but fortunately not its quality. Polish apple exporters expect a rather unstable apple season. Prices are also higher than they were at the start of the apple season. For Poland specifically, its expected the country will have about 20 per cent less production than they had in 2023.
In Italy, the total production for the 2024/25 season is estimated at 2,162,495 tonnes, 1% down from last year. Yet the signs are positive, the challenges are many and there are some factors that are still unpredictable, such as geopolitical crises and non-European production volumes. They expect to be starting from a good position, from which it will be important to maintain the promise of quality. In Spain they wait and see how the imports behave with the lower productions in Europa, with prices that are sure to be higher, and how this will affect the demand and prices of national apples. Despite not realising it's full potential, the harvest in France seems stable. The perspectives for the season are good, as French apples will benefit from a European crop shortfall. In Austria domestic demand is expected to be covered. However, apple exports will be decimated this year, key exporters have already indicated.
The first South African apples are harvested in January. The 2024/2025 apple season is later as a result of the late winter, and South Africa's apple orchards in the Western Cape are still dormant. Following the 2023/24 record-breaking crop, the estimate for U.S. apple production for the 2024/25 crop year is a 10.1 percent decrease from last year. In China the import market is stable overall with a slight decrease in volumes this year. Currently, inventory pressure on apple traders remains relatively low. While the market remains stable, price differentiation is more pronounced than before.
The Netherlands: Good prices for new apple harvest
Top fruit picking is in full swing in the Netherlands . "The Elstar harvest is also a bit lower. I think the quality of Elstar this year is really incredibly good. The taste is good, the firmness is right and the size is also nice. In that, consumer preferences have shifted a bit in recent years, they have gone down about 5 mm anyway. Nobody wants 80's anymore. The apple remains a snack and big apples don't eat easily. And the price of fruit will also play a role in this. But fortunately, apples are perfectly sized now," a Dutchman says.
He's not dissatisfied with market demand either. "Because we can deliver tasty fruit right away, demand for both Conference and Elstar is good and you can see that consumers are making repeat purchases and that's what we have to rely on. I think the fruit is also in shops at a nice price. A few years ago, you would sometimes see offers at 70 cents for the new harvest. That is not necessary. You would often see that a supermarket had the apples in the DC far too long and that one week you had to work relentlessly hard to deliver everything and the following week there was hardly any demand. A fair price that keeps sales steady is much better for everyone."
"Quite a lot of fruit has been sold on the wood this year and at good prices. Elstar and Conference were sold on the wood at prices between 65 and 72 cents, the price of Jonagold apples was slightly below that. But I keep stressing that the growers also need these prices to make investments. Picking still remains mostly manual work and that has become a lot more expensive."
Belgium: Potential despite lower volumes
A Belgian trader sees potential for a nice Belgian apple season, despite sharply lower volumes. "In Belgium, we have 34 per cent fewer apples than last year. This is a combination of the acreage being greatly reduced in recent years and a slightly smaller crop of Jonagold, and other standard varieties, for next season. We also see that the whole of Europe will have about 11 per cent fewer apples. There is less pressure from abroad, such as Poland, and Germany also has a smaller production of the Red Prince, so opportunities do exist. So we still see definite potential with increased prices compared to other years. Moreover, the industrial market is also in demand, so we expect a firm bottom in the market."
Germany: Bodensee region the only growing region with an increase in volume
In all German growing regions, the harvest is now in full swing: despite disappointing estimates, the total harvest volume of ca. 734,000 tons should be sufficient to serve domestic demand. The main growing areas are in the Bodensee region (approx. 12,000 ha) and the Alte Land near Hamburg (approx. 8,500 ha). Almost all growing areas are expecting a smaller harvest than last year. The only exception is the Bodensee region, where the latest estimate is for a 13% increase in volume compared to last year.
Greece: High temperatures impact size but not quality
This year's apple harvest started two weeks earlier compared to the previous year. The first apples harvested are the Gala apple varieties, this variety has slightly reduced production. High temperatures significantly impacted the Greek apple production. The trees did not receive the required hours of cold temperatures, because they had a warm winter. There was also a prolonged heat wave with over 42 degrees Celsius for several days in July. This had a negative impact on the size of the fruit, but fortunately not its quality. The wildfires in Greece had a devastating impact, mostly in the residential and forest areas. This means most apple orchards were not affected by the fires.
Poland: Unstable apple season expected
The weather in Poland is like a rollercoaster. There have been many weeks of drought and high temperatures, and recently they've endured strong rainfall. This rain flooded parts of the cities in central Poland, as well as in the south. Apple exporters expect a rather unstable apple season. Prices are also higher than they were at the start of the apple season. For Poland specifically, its expected the country will have about 20 per cent less production than they had in 2023.
Italy: Total production slightly down
In Italy, total production for the 2024/25 season is estimated at 2,162,495 tons, 1% down on last year. At regional level, production is expected to fall in Alto Adige (-9%) and Trentino (-7%) due to spring frosts, while production is expected to recover in all other regions, in particular in Veneto (+33%), Emilia-Romagna (+15%) and Piedmont (+8%). Italian organic production decreases by 6% compared to 2023, accounting for about 7% of the total supply at 158,150 tons.
At variety level, Golden Delicious production fell by 10% to 631,714 tons. Production of Red Delicious is expected to recover by 5% to 183,265 tonnes. Gala production is forecast to fall (-8%) to 164,453 tonnes, while Granny production is expected to increase by 18%. This variety, together with Morgenduft, which is expected to reach a record production of 55,662 tonnes compared to previous years, represent an important share for the industry for the baby food programmes in Veneto. Fuji, with a production of 159,422 tonnes, remains at the same level (+1%) and Cripps Pink, with a production of +24%, is down by 2% compared to last year, but still above the average of the last four years. The new club varieties set a new production record of over 265,000 tonnes, with an expected percentage increase of +5% over last year.
In the Trentino valleys, harvesting began with the earliest varieties, such as SweeTango and Gala, and will continue with the great September 'classics' such as Renetta, Dolcevita and, of course, Golden. Finally, in October, the late varieties Morgana and Fuji will make their appearance. According to initial surveys, the quality of the fruit is high.
Since the first weeks of August, South Tyrol has been working on the new harvest. "The signs are positive, the challenges are many and there are some factors that are still unpredictable, such as geopolitical crises and non-European production volumes. We are certainly starting from a good position, from which it will be important to maintain our promise of quality," says the sales manager of a leading consortium.
France: French apples could benefit from European crop shortfall
The new French apple season has just begun. The harvest is almost stable compared to 2023, but still falls short of full potential. International varieties are down 10% on 2023, while club and terroir varieties are up. The decline is marked more for Granny Smith, down 26.3% on 2023, while the Golden crop remains stable and Gala is down moderately. Production of club varieties is stable. Pink Lady is down 5%, while Jazz continues to grow (+16%). The perspectives for the season is also good, as French apples will benefit from a European crop shortfall (weather conditions having impacted Eastern Europe, particularly Poland).
A promising campaign beyond France's borders too, with export sales more dynamic (up 25,000 tonnes on last year). France regained market share in the EU, notably in the UK, but lost ground in the Far and Middle East. South America, on the other hand, appears to be "a good outlet," with volumes on the rise.
Spain: "For now, prices have risen in the industry, which is pushing hard for Spanish apples"
The forecast for the apple harvest in Spain's largest producing region, Catalonia, for 2024 is 268,770 tons, according to figures from Afrucat, thus recovering from the decline of the last campaign. This figure represents an increase of 3% compared to the average of the last 5 years and 13% compared to 2023, driven by the increase in the harvest expected in Lleida (+15%), which with an expected harvest of 171,580 tons will concentrate 64% of Catalan apple production, and Girona (+12%) which with 96,290 tons will represent 36%. It is noteworthy that all varieties are up compared to last year, with notable increases in Fuji (+6%), Granny Smith (+14%) and Gala (+11%).
The Royal Gala variety has now finished being harvested, and the Golden apple harvest will begin in approximately one week. "At the moment, the prices offered on the market are the same as those of last season for fresh apples, but they have risen for industrial apples, which are doing well," says an operator in the sector. "European production is lower this year, so we will have to see how imports behave in Spain, with prices that are sure to be higher, and how this will affect the demand and prices of national apples."
"The producer and marketer expects a campaign with more stable prices and fewer fluctuations. However, prices are already at high levels and if they rise further, they could affect consumption, which is already sensitive in a context of inflation."
Austria: Apple exports decimated
In the Austrian growing region of Styria, the apple harvest started particularly early this year; however, volumes were extremely disappointing. With an estimated volume of about 59,000 tons, the harvest will almost halve compared to last year. In the Lower Austrian growing region, by contrast, the frost damage is manageable and a normal harvest is assumed. For now, domestic demand is expected to be covered with a total volume of 120,000 tons. However, apple exports will be decimated this year, key exporters have already indicated. According to current estimates, only 10,000 tons would remain for export.
'The hard fruit sector in Styria faces enormous challenges. However, frost irrigation gives us some encouragement,' reports the agricultural organisation LKÖ. The figures highlight the importance of protected cultivation. On about 400 ha with frost protection in Styria (only 8 per cent of the total area), as much as 42 per cent of the total harvest volume was picked. On the remaining area without protection (92 per cent), only 58 per cent of the total volume was harvested.
Switzerland: Slight increase expected
The Swiss apple harvest this year is expected to be higher than last year. According to the latest harvest estimate, a total volume of 103'589 tons is expected this year, a plus of three per cent over last year.
South Africa: Late winter results in later season
The 2024/2025 apple season is later as a result of the late winter, and South Africa's apple orchards in the Western Cape are still dormant.
A cold winter with good snow over the Cape mountains has resulted in very good chilling hours, while strong winter rainfall means that provincial and farm dams are full.
In the Free State where the earliest South African apples grow, the winter wasn't that cold and chilling hours are down. Greentip is expected next week along with a bit of a cold snap, but warmer weather thereafter should lead to a quick start to apple blossoming. The first South African apples are harvested in January.
South Africa is self-sufficient in apples all through the year and the average market is R11 (0.55 euros) per kilogram for Controlled Atmosphere-stocked fruit. The price is 9% higher than last year and in November, when prices are expected to be highest, it could move past R13 per kg.
North America: More historical-sized apple crop
Following the 2023/24 record-breaking crop, the estimate for U.S. apple production for the 2024/25 crop year is 259,517,252 bushels–a 10.1 percent decrease from last year.
East Coast: Harvest on Michigan's apple crop–which is similar to last year's size–is starting two weeks early this season with larger sizing. Pricing is consistent. Western New York's fruit is sizing up 1-1.5 sizes up over last year. There will be approximately 30 percent more Honeycrisp. Pricing is expected to be challenging at the start. Pennsylvania's apple crop looks similar to last year.
West Coast: Washington anticipates 124 million forty-pound boxes of fresh apples. While the overall crop is down nine percent, Honeycrisp will see a double-digit decrease of 26 percent over last year. Cosmic Crisp will also increase by 40 percent. On pricing, 2023 volume is pressuring pricing. Oregon anticipates 150 million pounds of apples–down five percent from 2023.
Canada: Ontario welcomes larger crop of apples for 2024-2025. Meanwhile British Columbia is contending with the sudden closure of a key cooperative representing more than 300 growers in the Okanagan.
China: Import market stable, with increased price differentiation
The import market is stable overall with a slight decrease in volumes this year. Currently, inventory pressure on apple traders remains relatively low.
The overall arrival volume of New Zealand apples is lower than in previous years. Some shipments failed to pass customs quarantine, resulting in reduced availability in the Chinese market, which has contributed to the market's stability.
While the market remains stable, price differentiation is more pronounced than before. This year, New Zealand's Gala apples have outperformed others with high market recognition, stable prices, and strong returns. Although the price of Rose apples was low a few months ago, it has recently risen due to a decline in supply.
In contrast, the prices of South African Fuji apples, especially first-grade ones, have remained low, and Chilean Ambrosia apples haven't performed as well as expected. The quality of locally-produced Fuji apples in China is high, with competitive pricing, leaving little advantage for South African imports. Additionally, while Chilean Ambrosia apples taste good, the lighter peel colour and some defects have made them less appealing to Chinese consumers, which has driven down prices.
In terms of domestic production, the 2024 new apple production season is generally a year of increased production and quality. Especially in Gansu which is one of the biggest production areas, this year will be the year with the largest output in recent years, with an increase of more than 70%-80%. With the arrival of the new season of domestic apples, market stocks continue to be digested, and the supply of apples due to the bumper harvest, along with the competition between other fruits and apples, the price of domestic apples is low.