The Polish apple season is well underway, and the second European wave of the coronavirus is indeed affecting the season. The expectations are the coronavirus will leave a lasting mark, changing orchards, warehouses and destinations. With January coming up, soon the Polish cold-stores will be opening, which could also lead to an increase of the prices.
According to Jan Nowakowski, manager of Genesis Fresh, the Polish apple season is doing quite well. “The season is going good. We are at about one third through the season. Lots of apples have been sold to European countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, as they have limited volumes this year. Moreover due to lots of hailstorms in Poland, causing damages to the apples, many of apples have been also sent for industry purposes. In January, we will start with apples that have been stored in ULO cold-stores. Good volumes will be dedicated to long-transit shipment to Asia and Africa.”
There’s no denying the effects of the coronavirus are visible in the Polish apple market, but overall the shift in consumer behavior has been a positive one: “Covid-19 has definitely had an impact on fresh produce as well. In the autumn, we were facing the second wave in corona infections. Meanwhile, the consumption of fruit and particularly apples is on a good level. People are more aware of staying healthy and eating fruit and vegetables is good way to strengthen the immune system. Apples contain lots of vitamins and are in the top list of fruit consumption. The demand for apples remains on good pace as a result.” Nowakowski explains.
“We have more apples compared to last season, and thus the price level is lower during this campaign. Up until now the prices for apples have been on a stable level. Idared goes for €0.45/kg, Jonagold, Champion €0.47/kg, Golden €0.52/kg and Gala goes for €0.61/kg. In January, prices will increase as we will sell apples from ULO cold-stores,” Nowakowski says.
As there have been challenges on the market, like the Russian embargo, Nowakowski sees the apple industry changing to better suit the market: “Poland has biggest volume of apples in Europe. Therefore is the key player in apple sector in Europe. The industry is changing due to the embargo in Russia, the preferences of consumers and now also due to coronavirus. So we’re all now changing our orchards, warehouses and destinations of shipments to better suit the market demands and opportunities. Polish apples stand out for their quality and price on the market.”
For more information:
Jan Nowakowski
Genesis Fresh
Tel. +48 223 783 405
Email: info@genesisfresh.com
www.genesisfresh.com