In large parts of Hungary, night-time temperatures have been in the 
minus range in recent weeks. This night frost has had a serious impact on the growth of stone fruit cultures. "We are already expecting plum harvests to fall by 70-80 percent compared to the previous year," reports a southern Hungarian exporter who mainly supplies German and Austrian customers.
Normally, Hungarian plums are increasingly arriving on the German and Austrian markets from June onwards. This year there will already be shortages and even supply bottlenecks at the beginning of the season, he fears. Tart cherries, the second mainstay of the Hungarian stone fruit industry, could also be in short supply, the trader said. "Here, the expected losses are somewhat smaller, but according to current expectations, the night frost will lead to a 20-30 percent decrease in harvest in this area as well."
Paprika: No changes for now
In contrast to stone fruits, vegetable crops have so far been spared frost damage. For the time being, no changes could be observed with regard to peppers - Hungary's most important export vegetable. "We still expect normal growth and an average season from July."