Late frost and cold weather again led to losses in the fruit harvest. In 2021, 188,200 tons of dessert fruit were produced, as Statistics Austria reports. This was 14% below the ten-years average and 2% lower than the previous year's production.
Pome fruit production was 159,900 tons, 5% below the previous year's level and 15% below the ten-year average. The production of stone fruit anew was very low and reached only 8,700 tons, which is 28% below the ten-years average, though 55% over the previous year's production. The harvest of berries yielded 19,400 tons, which is 18% over the ten-year average and exceeded last year's level by 4%.
Apples, the main Austrian fruit species, achieved a harvest of 152,200 tons (-5% compared to 2020). Apricots, as strongly affected by spring frosts, achieved only a production of 4,400 tons (down 26% compared to the ten-years average). Strawberries yielded 14,300 tons (+7% compared to 2020).
For more information: statistik.at