In Hamburg, 105 farms cultivate commercial fruit on an area of 1,483 hectares. Compared to 2012, the number of farms decreased by 6% while the area increased by almost 20%. According to the Bureau of Statistics, Statistikamt Nord, every farm produces fruit on average on an area of almost 14 hectares.
About half of the available area is cultivated by 26 larger farms, those who use 20 hectares or more. Ten farms cultivate completely organic orchard fruit on a total surface of 143 hectares. In other words, one tenth of the total area is used for organic fruit and this surface is mainly used for organic apples (132 ha).
The most important orchard fruit is still the apple. Apple trees form 92% of the orchards in Hamburg (1,359 hectares). That is an increase of 266 hectares compared to 2012. Two other important varieties of orchard fruit are sweet cherries (57 hectares) and pears (44 hectares).
Production apples, used for processing in, for instance, juices or sauce, are of no importance as 99% are dessert apples. The main varieties are Elstar apples (448 hectares), Jonaprince (236 hectares) and Braeburn (140 hectares). Compared to 2012, the cultivation area of the Elstar apple increased by 100 hectares, while the surface of the Jonaprince and Braeburn almost doubled.
In the last few years, the new varieties Wellant® and Topaz have grown in importance and can claim 28 hectares each.