Apple price dropping, marketing pressure is increasing
The apple harvest is running smoothly. There are barely any adverse weather effects and full branches are resulting in record crops for Austrian apple producers. This meant that domestic growers needed a lot of hands, this last September. Early varieties like Summerred and Gravensteiner have been picked and hopefully can be marketed. As there was a lot of sunshine in the summer months, variety overlaps are the rule, not the exception. This is because stock items such as the Gala, Jonagold, Elstar & Co. matured unusually early this year.
Optical and sensory qualities are extremely satisfactory across all varieties. Selling prices less so. According to price surveys of Agrarmarkt Austria, which may not be published for data protection reasons, in September wholesale prices for dessert apples Class I averaged 35% below last year's values.
For conventional pressed fruit the outlook is similar. Where last year in Week 38 one kilogram of pressed fruit would cost an average of 0.20 EUR/kg, this year batches above 0.13 EUR/kg did not attract any customers. As there is increasing marketing pressure, at a European level as well, market prices will adjust accordingly.
Plum harvest satisfactory
Where the plum stops and the damson begins is something that regular consumers will not see at first glance. Damsons are usually slightly darker, bluish-purple in color and smaller in shape, rather oblong, tapering towards the ends. The pulp is firmer, drier and, unlike the plum, is easier to remove from the stone. Both damsons and plums belong to the rose family. Damsons are cultivated extensively in Austria. The main varieties are Cazak's Schöne followed by Toptaste and the Jojo, which is the variety that is resistant to the Scharka disease.
In 2017 damsons and plums were grown nationwide on 260 ha of 776 farms. Last year's harvest was below the long-term average of 1,300 tonnes for intensive and 8,500 tonnes for extensively managed plants. This was due to late frosts in the flowering phase.
In 2018, things turned out even better for plums, because of the extremely strong spring. In August and September, fans of these ancient fruit cultures could finally get their fill again. Producer prices were on average EUR 1.75/kg, 9% below last year's level. Tree-ripened plums can be processed into many products, like flour or distillates. Depending on the variety and the degree of ripeness, chilled, the climacteric fruits will keep for a maximum of one week.
Carrot market remains constant
As in August, sales were fairly constant. The cool, wet weather at the beginning of the month and the end of the holiday season increased demand somewhat. However, there were no bottlenecks and the market was balanced. Producer prices for 5 kg of carrots -washed and bagged- remained unchanged in September, at an average of 40-45 EUR/dt. Price levels are still excellent, being 22% above the corresponding values of last year.
Austrian onions in demand all over Europe
After heavy rainfall in the north-east of Lower Austria and the resulting breaks in the harvest at the beginning of September, the summer onion harvest started really well. Yields and sizes varied between 30 and 45 t/ha, depending on the location and on irrigation options. Nevertheless, harvesting conditions became sub-optimal during the month because of dry soils, especially to the west.
Meanwhile, for onions -cleaned and sorted in boxes- prices stayed unchanged for weeks, at 28-32 EUR/dt. The easy demand of the summer months was replaced with more active trade at the start of school. There was also more activity from the export markets. Large caliber goods were preferred. Perfect batches could get surcharges here and there. Forecasts expect a weak onion harvest in 2018. It will be an estimated 15-20% below the ten-year average of 158,000 tonnes.
High losses coinciding with low potato yield
Farmers have been clearing potatoes full force full swing and the welcome rainfall that offered farmers, especially in the Weinviertel, a reason to take a breather. But not for too long, because the motto was "Get out what you can".
At some places, wireworm pressure was enormous and every delay meant a further reduction of the marketable wares. At the hotspots in the Weinviertel, yields of less than 20 tons made it into an economically ridiculous situation. Producer prices were still stable, being at an average of EUR 18/dt for medium goods and EUR 15-18/dt for larger sizes.
Towards the west, prices could go up to 20-22 EUR/dt. Sales were quiet, apart from isolated storage operations. When autumn really gets going and temperatures are dropping noticeably, the flow of goods will get going.
Source: AgrarMarkt Austria