This year's apple harvest in Finland is expected to be smaller than average, with professional growers forecasting yields to fall by as much as 30%. In many home gardens, apple trees are showing no fruit. This is a marked change from last year, when yields were high enough to produce juice, jam, and pies in abundance.
According to Toni Rahkonen, vice chairman of the Finnish Fruit and Berry Growers' Association, the reduced harvest is mainly the result of variable spring weather. Early in the season, many blossoms dropped after a sudden shift from warm to cold temperatures, affecting fruit set.
Rahkonen, who operates an orchard in Parainen, said the situation is similar across the country. "For home growers, this year is pretty unfortunate, and some trees are completely bare," he said, adding that it is common for a large harvest in one year to be followed by a weaker crop the next.
Source: YLE News
