Experts of the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) predict a decline in the apple production of the countries of the Southern Hemisphere in the 2016/17 campaign, reports "APK-Inform: Vegetables and Fruits".
According to preliminary calculations carried out by WAPA, the total harvest of these fruits in the region will amount to about 5.297 million tonnes, which is 2% less than in the 2015/16 campaign and stands below the average of the past five years. Industry experts also point out that the harvest this season will be one of the lowest in the last five years, only surpassed by the 2014/15 campaign, when the Southern Hemisphere managed to harvest 5.269 million tonnes of apples.
The leader in terms of apple production in the Southern Hemisphere has traditionally been Chile. Here, the harvest is expected to reach 1.635 million tonnes, which entails a decline in the production of about 3%.
Next in the ranking of the largest apple producers in the region is Brazil, where production is expected to reach 1.1 million tonnes, which is 4% less than last year.
The top three ranking is closed by South Africa, and this is one of the few countries in the Southern Hemisphere where the apple production is expected to increase. According to preliminary estimates of analysts of the Association, the harvest of this fruit in South Africa in the season 2016/17 will be 4% greater than last year, reaching 883 thousand tonnes.
Source: fruit-inform.com
