Weather conditions have made it more difficult to keep apples at good quality, says Emilia Lewandowska, office manager for Fruit-Group: “The current Polish apple season is a very demanding one. This has to do with a lower harvest of apples in Poland, which was a result of the spring frosts. But we also had to endure hot temperatures in both August and September, as well as drought conditions, making it a demanding season to ensure the right quality for clients. The Asian New Year is also earlier this year, which is why long-distance shipments to Asia will be done until December, and not after.”
According to Lewandowska, the level of demand in their main markets is strong right now. “At the moment, there’s good demand coming from the German market, as well as from the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. Our company has worked with these markets for many years, so they aren’t new to us. Our exported volumes to these markets are higher this season. The apples are generally in medium size, the predominate size is 70-90. This is a good situation, as this is the perfect size for apples destined for export. On the other hand, we have fewer small apples 60-70.”
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According FreshPlaza, prices are already at a higher level than last year. But Lewandowska has hopes the prices will go up a bit more: “It’s hard to predict how the market will behave in the coming weeks. I hope that prices will go up, at a stable speed and that growth will be adequate to the market demand. At this point in the season, the prices for apples are stable. However, they’re at a high point. Compared to last season, I’d say that prices are about 20 per cent higher this season,” she concludes.
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