In the 2016/17 campaign, the world apple production reached record levels for at least the last five years, as revealed by updated data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), reports "APK-Inform: Vegetables and Fruits".
According to the estimates made available, the world's gross apple harvest in the current season amounted to 77.54 million tonnes, compared to 76.4 million tonnes in the 2015/16 campaign.
According to experts, the growth of the global harvest is a consequence of the rising production in China, which has traditionally been the world's undisputed leader in terms of apple production. Thus, this season, Chinese growers have achieved the largest apple harvest in five years, totalling 43.5 million tonnes, compared to the 42.6 million tonnes harvested last year.
Second in the ranking is the EU, where USDA analysts have noted a slight decline in apple production, down to 12.6 million tonnes. They recall that last year's apple harvest in the EU reached 12.7 million tonnes. In any case, experts point out that the decrease in production in Central and Eastern European countries could be offset by the positive dynamics in Poland.
The top three is closed by the United States, whose gross apple production in the 2016/17 campaign stands at 4.65 million tonnes, 3% more than in the previous season. The experts stress that the situation in the country has varied depending on the area. Frosts in April and drought in the summer had a negative impact on the production volume in the eastern states; however, the increases in the gross production achieved in the western and central regions have not only compensated for the loss, but have also led to a nationwide increase.
Other world leaders in the production of apples are Turkey and India. The total harvest in these countries has remained stable compared to last year and stood at 2.7 million tonnes and 1.9 million tonnes, respectively.
Source: fruit-inform.com
