Hungary: Poor pear production this season
Ferenc Apáti told MTI that "in Hungary, about 2,400 hectares are planted with pear trees, and depending on the weather conditions, the annual production usually oscillates between 20 and 40 thousand tonnes. This year's low yield is due to the fact that plantations in Zala County were affected by frost damage in April; a circumstance that also affected the Szabolcs and Borsod production areas. Moreover, the amount of summer rainfall was insufficient.
He pointed out that the price at origin of first-class edible pears is 20 to 30 percent higher than the average; instead of the usual 120-150 HUF per kilo (about 0.39-0.49 Euro), it currently amounts to around 180-220 HUF (about 0.58-0.71 Euro). Meanwhile, the price of Vilmos pears, which are the ones bought by the brandy industry, has increased from 80-100 HUF per kilogram to 130-140 HUF this year (from 0.26-0.32 to 0.42-0.45 Euro).
According to Ferenc Apáti, the rise in prices is justified by the frost damage, which affected some of the largest European producers (Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium), and the summer drought in Italy also contributed to quantitative losses.
Hungarian pear exports amount to between 500 and 2,000 tonnes per year, with shipments going mainly to neighbouring countries, like Slovakia and Romania, but this year exports are expected to be lower, mostly due to the smaller fruit calibres as a result of droughts and the losses caused by frosts and hailstorms.
Source: veol.hu
