According to a grower, the high apple stocks from last year, and the increase of apple plantation costs contributed to the low price position of Gala apples. Currently there are still a lot of apples from last year in local cold storage centres. With apple supplies so high, low prices are guaranteed. The cost of bagged apples was also up on last year's - from around 2.6 cents to 3 to 3.5 cents, which put pressure on plantation costs.
On top of which, the impact of high temperatures and insufficient rain in apple production regions has led to a lot of apples ripening early. Gala and Meiba, have been poorly coloured - some even turning green. This demotivated consumer purchase interest, which lowered prices even further. This year, the bagged Gala apple price is 20% to 30% lower than last. Taking into consideration the relatively low quality, it is unlikely that the price of Gala apples will recover any time soon.
Source: International Business Daily
