Up to 30% frost damage in Hungary

Frost which hit Hungarian apricot growers last week, is expected to have caused up to 30% losses in production. Fortunately some producers were able to save their crops by using frost candles, while others saw complete losses.

Blooming had been doing really well leading up to last week and it had appeared that it would be a good season. However, the cold weather caught many growers off guard because it usually does not happen this late in the growing season.

The damage is expected to cause prices to go up. The cold weather is supposed to continue during the next few weeks, with temperatures only becoming warmer later on in the month.

Apricot prices in Seville are also expected to be affected by the cooler temperatures with growers there experiencing delays, along with some frost damage as well.

The Hungarian harvest for the early varieties are expected to take place between the third to fourth week of June. No delays are expected as of yet, but it is still too soon to tell.

There is typically around a two week gap between the Spanish apricots grown in Seville and the Hungarian season, but sources say that it is not expected to be as large this year with only one week between.