If the volume of apples is satisfactory throughout the country (62,000 tons collected, more than the national target of 57,000 tons), their commercial potential is another matter. 5 to 10% of the apples harvested in French-speaking Switzerland do not reach the standards required in terms of diameter to be marketed. The cause: the lack of water during the summer.
With the drought, the plants bloomed very quickly. The fruits are therefore denser, sweeter but also smaller than in previous seasons.
Many producers are forced to send them to the processing industry: 130 000 tons of apples that have not reached a suitable size for marketing are transformed into cider, three times more than in 2017. "Trade only wants pretty fruits. Apples that have sizes of 65 to 75 millimeters,” explains Luc Magnollay, arborist in the region of Etoy. We know that the consumer buys a lot with the eye. "
Source: RTS.ch