Poland enjoyed an abundant apple harvest this year with a production volume of 4.5 million tons, which is a historical record for the Polish apple industry. Apple farmers are naturally worried that supply will exceed demand and the purchase price will drop below the cost price. Polish apple farmers are also worried about the dominant position of China in the international apple market.
Poland annually exports 1 million tons of apples to Russia in recent years, but Russia blocked Polish apple imports this year in response to the EU sanctions. Some apple farmers considered leaving the apples to rot in the orchard and to avoid the cost of harvesting.
The Polish government proposed to establish a state enterprise to purchase Polish fruit at higher prices, but a Chinese state enterprise purchased the largest fruit concentrate producer in Poland, Appol, and the government subsequently abandoned their proposal for a state enterprise.
Fruit farmer and founder of the Youth Horticulture Initiative, Mateusz Dabrowski, stated: "The fact that China entered the market through the purchase of Appol represents a threat to Polish fruit farmers. China could achieve a market monopoly in Poland. China is already the largest apple producer in the world."
Polish farmers are worried that large volumes of cheap Chinese fruit juice will flood the market disguised as European products with Polish labels and force local farmers out of business.
Source: ntdtv.com