German fruit harvest obviously higher

In Germany in 2011 around 92,000 tonnes of fruit more was harvested than in 2010, when the harvest was very low. The increase was 9.5%. The multiple year average was exceeded by 6.6%. The frost damage was decisive, mainly for North-German apples.

Despite the frost damage the growers harvested in 2011, 7.6% more apples than in 2010. Compared to the multiple year average though, 8% less apples were picked. The apple harvest varied per region. Compared to 2010 the harvest grew most in Sasken-Anhalt (+92%), Bavaria (+44%) and Saksen (+33%). Baden-Württemberg is the most important state for the German apple harvest. Here the harvest amount in 2011 was around 11% higher than in 2010. In Brandenburg (-65%), Mecklenburg-Voor-Pommeren (-5%) and Rijnland-Palts (-12%) the apple harvest was lower than in 2010.

The pear harvest was a fifth higher than in 2010, with 46,900 tonnes. The harvest average of the past six years was surpassed by 5.8%. Around 37,000 tonnes sweet cherries was harvested, 20.1% more than in 2010 and 17.1% more than the multiple year average. More sour cherries were also harvested in 2011 than in 2010 (21.9%); the multiple year average was surpassed by 12.9%. The harvest of plums was 19.1% higher than in 2010 and the harvest of mirabelles/Reine Claudes was 35% higher than in 2010.

The area that was used for strawberry cultivation, barely increased in 2011 (+0.6%). The harvest of strawberries from open ground was around 3.2% lower than in 2010 by around 147,700 tonnes. On average the yield per hectare of all kinds of berries was lower than in 2010.