Germany: smaller apple crop expected

Tholen – The apple harvest in the German fruit cultivation is estimated at 915 K MT, a 3% decrease compared to 2004. Several trends in different growing area’s have contributed to this result. At the Niederelbe an above average production of 385K MT is expected. This is 16% more than last year.

The crops of the remaining large production area’s will show reductions however. At the Bodensee area a production of 220K MT is expected, This is 13% less then last season and implies an average crop. The estimated result of 80K MT for Sachsen is 14% below the level of 2004 and way below average. Both in Sachsen as in other East German member states, frost is deemed responsible for the reductions. In the smaller West German growing area’s, the results were at a similar level like last year, or slightly below last year (ZMP).

By FreshPlaza editor Andre van der Wiel