Due to a poor yield the amount of apples stored this year is only a quarter of the amount stored in the previous year. On the cut-off point, 1 November 2016, 38,991 metric tons of apples were stored. While in the previous year 137,913 metric tons of apples had been stored. AgrarMarkt Austria (AMA) reports that just over a quarter of the amount of the previous year is available for sale. None of the painstakingly developed export markets can be supplied either. In addition to the poor yield, the industry also struggles with quality problems due to snow and frost damages. And a partial financial compensation for the harvest losses isn’t on the cards, the AMA continues.
The situation varies per apple variety. The case is particularly disastrous for the varieties Jonagored and the high-volume varieties Idared and Gala. Idared, for instance, suffered almost a total loss of the harvest, with only a yield of 376 metric tons compared to 2015 (14,516 metric tons). This year’s Gala harvest, 2,866 metric ton (2015: 26,519 metric tons), was only 11%. The situation of the varieties Golden Delicious and Evelina is better.
The organic apple sector also is struggling with lower yields. Only 2,740 metric tons of organic apples could be stored for the coming marketing year. While, according to AMA, in the previous year the amount of stored organic apples was 12,000 metric tons.