The new harvest of Gala apples in Poland commenced last week with record-high prices. This follows the announcement of global apple harvest estimates and forecasts for the 2024/25 season by leading fruit and vegetable associations at the annual “Prognosfruit 2024” conference in Budapest, Hungary. If these forecasts prove accurate, they suggest that apple prices may remain high or even increase in the new season.
This year, the Gala apple season in Poland started earlier than usual, EastFruit informs. The first fruits of the new harvest were sold by Polish growers at 2.7-3.3 PLN/kg ($0.70-0.85/kg), which is 46% higher than the prices at the beginning of the 2023/24 season.
As the harvesting campaign progresses, a gradual decrease in prices is expected. However, this decrease will likely be limited by the forecasted 20% drop in Poland’s apple harvest. Currently, the market is predominantly supplied with early apple varieties and the first clones of the Gala variety, but mass harvesting is anticipated soon.
During the “Prognosfruit” conference, Andriy Yarmak, an economist from the Investment Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), highlighted the prospects for maintaining high apple prices in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the new season, despite the expected increase in production in certain countries.
Interestingly, as has become a tradition, Polish farmers are dissatisfied with the prices for industrial apples and are demanding an increase. In contrast, Ukrainian and Moldovan farmers are currently satisfied with the prices for industrial apples.
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