Apples continue to be by far the most harvested tree fruit in Germany. However, the apple harvest in 2023 fell short of the usual 1 million ton mark achieved in recent years. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), based on final harvest results, approximately 941,200 tons of apples were harvested, which is about 129,800 tons or 12.1% less than in the high-yielding year 2022 (1.1 million tons). Compared to the average of the years 2013 to 2022, the apple harvest was about 39,900 tons or 4.1% lower.
Wet-cold weather during blooming, heat and drought in summer stress the trees
After the particularly poor harvest years of 2017 with 596,700 tons and 2013 with 803,800 tons, the apple harvest of 2023 ranks third in the lowest apple harvests of the past ten years. The main reason for the low harvest volume was unfavorable weather conditions. The wet and cold weather at the time of blooming negatively affected pollination and led to frost damage in some cases. Heat and drought in early summer additionally stressed many trees and promoted sunburn and drought stress. This was accompanied by an increased occurrence of diseases (such as scab) and locally occurring precipitation and hail events, which damaged the fruit in high summer.
Significant declines in the largest apple growing areas Alte Land and Lake Constance
The two largest German apple growing areas, Alte Land (Lower Saxony and Hamburg) and Lake Constance (Baden-Württemberg), are of particular importance for the domestic apple harvest. In Baden-Württemberg, the most apples were harvested in 2023 with 313,600 tons, however, 60,800 tons or 16.2% less than in 2022. In Lower Saxony, 282,700 tons were harvested, 31,000 tons or 9.9% less apples than the previous year. Measured by the nationwide apple harvest, Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony accounted for shares of 33.3% and 30.0% respectively.
Most apples were sold as table fruit
About three quarters (74.4% or 699,600 tons) of the apple harvest in 2023 were intended for sale as table fruit. About a quarter of the harvest (24.1% or 226,600 tons) was used as processing or industrial fruit, for example for the production of fruit juice, preserves or apple wine. The remaining balance (1.6% or 15,000 tons) could not be marketed due to storage or processing losses.
Plum harvest 6.5% below the previous year's level
The 2023 plum and damson yield was 43,800 tons, 6.5% below the previous year's value of 46,800 tons. The average harvest quantity of the past ten years (45,500 tons) was thus undercut by 3.7%. As plums and damsons are among the alternating tree fruit types, fluctuating harvest yields are characteristic from year to year. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, pest infestation (e.g. vinegar flies) and cracking of the fruit caused by rain, there were yield losses in some regions. Of the harvested plums, the sale as table fruit played an even more significant role than with apples, with 37,900 tons (86.5%). Only 4,300 tons (9.9%) were used as processing or industrial fruit. The category "not marketed" included 1,600 tons and thus 3.6% of the fruit.
The most important federal states for the plum harvest were, as in previous years, Baden-Württemberg with 18,300 tons (+0.8% compared to the previous year) and Rhineland-Palatinate with 9,000 tons (-18.4% compared to the previous year). The yield of these two regions comprised 62.3% of this year's German plum harvest.
Of the total recorded yield of 1.1 million tons of tree fruit in 2023, apples accounted for about 88.1%. The share of plums and damsons was 4.1%. In addition, 37,800 tons of pears (3.5%), 32,400 tons of sweet cherries (3.0%), 7,800 tons of sour cherries (0.7%) and 5,800 tons of mirabelles and greengages (0.5%) were harvested in Germany.
Source: Destatis