Apple harvest in MV: Frost causes 40 percent losses for farmers!

Apple harvest in MV: Frost causes 40 percent losses for farmers!

The apple harvest in Germany is under an unfavorable star this year. Fruit growers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in particular have to expect significant losses. According to a report by NDR This year's harvest will be around 40 percent lower than in previous years. The reason for this is the frost damage that destroyed many buds and flowers on the apple trees in spring.

Jakob Oestreicher, operations manager at the Coorßen fruit estate, describes the situation and reports that the harvest volume on his farm has fallen by around ten percent. But it's not just these losses that are challenging. Harvesting itself is also difficult, as frequent rain showers not only make the work of the harvest workers from Romania and Poland more difficult, but can also lead to pressure sores on the sensitive fruits.

Climatic challenges and forecasts

The situation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is not an isolated case. The apple harvest is also affected by drastic declines in other parts of Germany. Loud Telepolis A harvest of just 734,000 tons of apples is forecast for 2024, a decrease of 26 percent compared to the ten-year average. This harvest is at its lowest level since 2017.

In various regions of Germany, such as Saxony-Anhalt, fruit growers even have to expect losses of up to 100 percent - a worrying trend that is due, among other things, to the climate crisis. Severe weather-related events such as late frosts and hailstorms exacerbate the problem. This is particularly drastic because some federal states are facing a decline of more than 80 percent in the apple harvest, as in Brandenburg, where the yield could be the lowest since 1991 taz.

Price development and impact on the market

What does this mean for consumers? Despite the losses in the harvest, supply and demand should remain in a certain balance. Europe is expecting a total harvest of 10.5 million tonnes of apples and prices could remain stable. Nevertheless, it is to be expected that the price per kilo of apples in stores could rise to over 2 euros, which represents an increase of around 10 percent.

Furthermore, increasing demand for regional products could drive up prices. The fruit farmers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania rely on the domestic market and market the current batch locally. After all, the apple is the Germans' favorite fruit, with a per capita consumption of 20 kilograms.

Overall, the challenges of the 2024 apple harvest are not only putting pressure on yields, but also on prices for related products such as apple juice, jam and cake. These could also increase significantly as demand influences market conditions.

Overall, it remains to be seen how the market will react to the ongoing developments and whether German fruit growers will be able to overcome the resulting economic challenges. A good hand in caring for your trees and marketing your products could be the key to success here.