Austrian apple farmers complain of crop losses due to climate

The most popular fruit in Austria - the apple - was at the center of attention last Friday. Every year on the second Friday in November, the Day of the Apple is celebrated. On this occasion, ruling apple queen Lisa I brought a basket filled with locally grown apples to the offices of the Austrian Farmers' Union. She was accompanied by Johann Greimel, Managing Director of the Federal Fruit Industry Association, Rupert Gsöls, President of the Federal Fruit Industry Association, Chairman of the Association of Styrian Buisness Growers, Bernhard Ramminger, Managing Chairman Obst-Partner-Steiermark and Karl Purkarthofer, Deputy Chairman OGS Obst-Gemeinschaft-Steiermark GmbH. Together they brought fruity greetings to the Farmers' Federation President Georg Strasser and Farmer's Association Director Norbert Totschnig.

During a conversation, Farmers' Federation President Georg Strasser emphasized the importance of paying attention to local products when shopping: "By choosing domestic apples, we directly support the Austrian family businesses and promote our economy. Moreover, apples are very healthy. With over 30 vitamins and trace elements they are true power fruits. They are good for the teeth and intestines and provide energy very quickly."

Photo: Farmer’s Federation / Silvia Leitner

EU-wide smallest apple harvest in seven years
Unfortunately, the apple crops of this year aren’t very good. At 9,3 million tonnes (Prognosfruit Congress estimate), they are the smallest in the EU since 2007, having dropped by around 21 percent compared to the previous year. Reasons for this are mainly climatic influences, such as the mild winter and the resulting flowering two weeks early, regional late frost in late April and early May and the extreme heat and drought of the summer months. Of course, these external influences are not without consequences for the fruits. In Austria the harvests don’t appear to be much better. There will be approximately two-thirds fewer dessert apples this year; the main reason for this was the frosts.

The apple farmers in the main production state of Styria even now can’t relax after the catastrophes of 2016. For 2017, the harvest will be approximately half of that of a normal year. About 80,000 tonnes are expected, against harvest yields of 180,000 tonnes on average. Again, frosts are the main causes of the crop decline. Neither are other Austrian regions or other kinds of fruits doing very much better. A large number of Austrian fruit growers are facing economically difficult times again this year.

Source: bauernbund.at