FruitVeB: Abundant Rainfall Good for Apple Orchards

Although it is impossible to estimate this year's crop prospects, the abundant autumn-winter rainfall has certainly been good for apple orchards, the Hungarian Interbranch Fruit and Vegetable Organization and Product Council FruitVeB told MTI on Tuesday.

Although neither the mild winter nor the unpredictable spring favors apple production, the rain-saturated soil helps fruit trees to sprout in spring. If no exceptional weather were to be expected in the coming months, at least an average harvest could be expected this year after last year's poor crop, they said.

According to preliminary data from the Product Council, 280,000 tons of apples were produced in Hungary last year, down from even the modest August estimate of 300-350,000 tons. In particular, the volume of fresh market (table) apples fell significantly, with only 80,000 tons produced instead of the expected 100-120,000 tons, of which exports were between five and eight tons.

Of the 200,000 tons of industrial apples, juice mills bought 172,500 tons, while the other sectors of the domestic processing industry (brandy, drying plants, canning, etc.) bought almost 22,000 tons, with a further 5,000 tons for export. The industrial apples produced in 2022 satisfied only 40-45% of the processing industry's capacity, so around 15,000 tons were also imported, mainly from Poland.