With the harvest of the first early apples such as Delbarestivale, this year's apple harvest is gradually gaining momentum in many German growing regions. However, the cold, wet weather of recent months has had devastating consequences for fruit growers in many places. In certain apple-growing regions, serious harvest declines are already expected after the bountiful 2023 apple year.
Saxony-Anhalt: Serious harvest losses
The state farmers' association is expecting a poor apple harvest in Saxony-Anhalt this year. "The beginning of the apple season will not bring a good harvest for the most part," said an association spokesperson. The late frosts at the end of May had led to severe damage. Some farms have already started harvesting in the past few days. "We've had 80 per cent damage this year, we've never had this much damage before," said the owner of Obsthof Hornemann in Sülzetal. "Nature was simply two weeks earlier than usual this year. Frost in April is not untypical. But this year it hit the apples in the most sensitive phase."
Brandenburg: losses of up to over 90 per cent
The situation for many fruit farms in Brandenburg with a high proportion of tree fruit is very serious. Some apple farms have 80 to 95 per cent less fruit, according to an initial forecast from the horticultural association. The fruit still remaining on the tree has developed a frost-induced scab ring and is therefore no longer marketable as dessert fruit. Other few apples were better supplied from the tree, are significantly larger and can therefore only be sold as cider fruit and therefore at a significantly lower price. The cherries, which were already scarce, were further decimated by starlings, or burst due to rain. Fruit farms that normally harvest 7-14 tonnes of cherries only harvested 180 kg this year. The damage to plums was "only" limited at around 50 per cent, but here too, the frost caused deformation. Chokeberries and currants are 90 to 100 per cent damaged. The loss of income here alone is up to 1.2 million euros.
NRW: Fungal diseases cause problems for fruit growers
The changeable climate is also making itself felt in NRW, as Julius Heinen from the Heinen asparagus and fruit farm in Wesel-Obrighoven and Rolf Clostermann from Neuhollandshof in Bislich report. "We're struggling with fungal diseases this year," says Julius Heinen. "That's why we've had to do a lot more plant protection to prevent the apples from rotting." The main pathogen in apple cultivation is the scab fungus, which, along with mildew fungi, is one of the most common pathogens in orchards. Apple scab is caused by a fungus called Venturia inaequalis and causes brownish, often torn spots on leaves and fruit. Apples affected by scab fungus are edible, but not good for storage. This is because the scab spots are entry points for rotting fungi.
Hesse: Mixed harvest forecast
The Hessian Farmers' Association is expecting a limited apple harvest this year. "The outlook is mixed because the harvest will be completely different," says Esther Wernien, agronomist at the association. "The decisive factor is whether you got frost or no frost". This is decisive for the yield this year. "Some farms will have a fairly normal harvest, for others the frost can lead to total failure."
Palatinate: early start to harvest with good prospects
This year, Pfalzmarkt für Obst und Gemüse eG is starting the local apple harvest particularly early. In view of the very good fruit set and the challenging weather conditions so far this season, the Pfalzmarkt growers - who specialise in apple and fruit cultivation - are expecting a good apple harvest. "With Delbarestivale and subsequently Elstar, Pfalzmarkt eG will deliver the first market-relevant varieties for the food retail trade (LEH) around seven to ten days earlier."
Baden-Württemberg: Seamless transition from old to new harvest expected
Despite a slow demand, stocks are dropping according to plan and the final weeks of the current season will come to an uneventful end. Old stocks will not affect the new season. A good average harvest is expected at Lake Constance for 2024/25. In contrast, all other growing regions in Germany are likely to see below-average harvests. Europe as a whole is also not expected to have an overly large harvest. The Lake Constance region can therefore be optimistic about the coming marketing season.
The generally cool weather in May and June has slowed down the vegetation somewhat, meaning that the new season will start later than originally expected. Nevertheless, the first apples will probably arrive a little earlier than usual. The first newly harvested SweeTango® will probably be available from mid-August. Delbarestivale are expected in week 34, followed by the first Elstar in week 35 and the first Gala Royal a week later. The first Discovery are currently arriving. According to preliminary market statistics, average prices for class I dessert apples are currently around 82 EUR/dt (+58 per cent compared to the previous season).
Northern Germany: good quality, lower volumes
In Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, certain early varieties such as Astramel could already be harvested a fortnight ago. Depending on the growing region, the harvest sometimes starts up to ten days earlier than the previous year's harvest. In the Altes Land region, one of the earliest harvest years ever was reported. "The fruit tastes good, the quality is good, but the quantity is lower," said Matthias Görgens, deputy director of the Jork fruit-growing research centre, which is part of the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture.
Switzerland: Harvest start similar to last year
In Switzerland, too, this year's apple harvest is now gradually gaining momentum. According to calculations by the plant protection bulletin Obst Mittelland, the top fruit harvest is expected to start at a similar time to last year. For example, the main harvest for the early variety Summerred will begin on 12 August, for Gala on 4 September and for Golden Delicious on 22 September. Depending on the region, exposure, rootstock, canopy and soil, the dates are postponed by one to two days for every 25 metres of altitude.
Austria: Harvest losses of up to 70 per cent in Styria
Austrian fruit producers are facing crop losses of up to 70 per cent, with top and stone fruit being particularly affected. The fruit-growing industry estimates that around half of the entire fruit-growing area is affected. According to initial surveys by the Austrian hail insurance company, the damage caused by this year's frost event amounts to around 56 million euros nationwide, including 44 million euros in fruit growing. While some regions got off lightly, Styria, an important fruit-growing region, was hit the hardest. The industry association for fruit and vegetables expects a crop loss of up to 70 per cent for top fruit. This makes it the most severe damage event in Styrian fruit growing since 2016.