Good expectations for the new nugget fruit campaign

According to European harvest forecasts made public today at the Prognosfruit congress, the apple will arrive this year at 10,556,000 tons, 20% less than last season and 8% below the average of the last three years. The fall will be sponsored mainly by data from Poland, the main apple producer in the EU, which this year expects to harvest 44% less apples. Spain rises 14% reaching 542,000 tons, slightly exceeding the records of recent years.

Pear forecasts also point to a decrease, this time less significant, that would place European production at 2,047,000 tons, 14% below that of last season and 9% less than the last three years. In this case, Italy (-30%), Belgium (-10%) and Holland (-6%) are primarily responsible for this decline. The Spanish pear harvest forecasts increase for the next campaign by 4% reaching 311,000 tons and recovering the productive potential that was lost last year due to weather problems.

In general, flowering and fruit set problems, late frosts, hailstorms and June purges, caused by the high temperature, have caused this decline in European harvest forecasts.

Manel Simon, director of Afrucat, considers that these data are encouraging for the sector since they place the apple below 11 million kilos of apples, a figure that represents the consolidated consumption within the European Union. Pear production would also be in the second lowest of the last ten years, favoring market fluidity.

According to Simon, better industry prices, and less availability of apples for fresh consumption are anticipated and, he adds, that, despite the expansion of the Russian veto until the end of 2020, the evolution and expectations of the increase in EU exports towards Asia and South America foresees that we will find a balanced campaign, with correct prices and that it will be possible to manage.