In the Marchfeld region east of Vienna, there is now a sigh of relief after the recent storms and hailstorms in calendar week 18. "Fortunately, we got off lightly," reports Manfred Harbich, stone fruit grower and owner of the fruit farm of the same name, based in Raasdorf. After a few difficult years, the signs for the approaching stone fruit season are particularly good. "We've only had one critical frost event so far, but we were able to get through it thanks to modern frost protection. Overall, we're really happy with the current crop on all our trees, whether apricots, sweet cherries, or plums. The only exception is the Haroma plum variety: after two bumper harvests in a row, the trees will bear slightly less fruit this year due to the usual alternation."
© Obstbau Harbich
The apricot varieties Tsunami (left) and Robada. The latter variety has a similar ripening window to Orangered
In contrast to last year's unusually early start to the harvest, a normal season is expected this year. Harbich: "There will definitely not be any early apricots on May 25 this year, as there were last year. We normally harvest the first early cherries at the beginning of June, followed by apricots and plums. We expect the marketing season to be particularly challenging for apricots, as initial forecasts indicate quite abundant yields in France and Italy, which are important sourcing countries for the Austrian food retail trade. However, this will become clearer later in the season."
© Obstbau HarbichManfred Harbich grows stone fruit on a total of 19 hectares, 13 of which are dedicated to apricots. Pricia is one of the relatively new varieties
Increased disease pressure
As a stone fruit producer, Harbich, who converted his parents' crop farm into a fruit farm, is considered an exotic figure in the Marchfeld vegetable garden in eastern Austria. He supplies both Spar Austria and regional farm shops. A significant portion of his yield finds its way to consumers through his own farm shop. He expects strong growth in this segment in particularly this year. "Due to the wet and cold weather, the Monilia disease is more prevalent this year, especially in apricots. As commercial fruit growers, we have the means to combat this disease, but in home gardens, there will be total losses in some cases. These hobby gardeners will then increasingly turn to local direct marketers."
© Obstbau Harbich
Apricots falling from the trees of the proven Bergeron variety. The variety is suitable for both fresh consumption and processing
According to Harbich, climate change has undoubtedly been an absolute game-changer in recent years. The unpredictable weather, especially the late frosts, has led to several serious crop failures, particularly for apricots. "Last season, we had to cope with a 50 percent loss. We then sold almost everything directly from the farm at pretty good prices. Due to recurring damage, we decided to invest in frost insurance in 2021. It's a big investment, but pretty much unavoidable. Twenty years ago, we could always make up for weaker years with a bumper crop. But that's no longer possible, partly because labor costs have gone way up," explains the fruit grower.
© Obstbau Harbich
The Haroma plum variety: In 2019, the plum orchard was expanded to 1.5 hectares
Direct marketing as a model for the future
Despite climate change and rising costs, Harbich is quite confident about the future. "Supplying retailers is becoming increasingly difficult for us as a medium-sized fruit farm, so I see the greatest future potential in direct marketing. Expanding the farm is not an option for me currently, as my children are still young, and I want to wait and see whether they might want to take over the business in the future," he concludes.
For more information:
Manfred Harbich
Obstbau Harbich
Old village 20
2281 Raasdorf
[email protected]
www.obstbau-harbich.at
