"The market in Poland is stable at the moment, with prices twice as high as they were last year and supplies down by around 30%. We are seeing a lot of demand from all over, but the quality is not strong enough for long distances, so we are focusing on Europe," shared Pawel.
Although the situation is good at the moment, Pawel said it can change at any time. Polish apples in storage are expected to last another three to four months. It's hard to predict what will happen in the future, because it is difficult to say how the quality will be once the cold stores are open.
The varieties Jonagold/Jonagored were most affected by the frosty spring conditions, which has affected sizes as well. Most likely, many will run out of these varieties first, but there are plenty of Ida Red, Gloster, Ligol and even Gala or Golden Delicious to fill in the gap.
When asked about what will happen if the apples in storage are not good enough quality to sell as fresh apples, Pawel replied; "It won't be a disaster for growers even if the apple quality is low once the cold stores are opened over the next few month. The price for industry apples is also high, sometimes reaching last year's fresh apple prices, so there is no risk of them not be able to sell them for one purpose or another. While it might be a challenging year for traders, Polish apple growers will see good profit this year, despite the frost."
For more information:
Pawel Napiórkowski
Ewa-Bis
Tel: +48 728 435 522
Email: pawel.napiorkowski@ewabis.com.pl
www.ewabis.com.pl