In August 2022, the average price of Polish apples rose by 15.7% MoM to €0.28/kg. This was supported by continued market uncertainty and rising costs. The conflict in Ukraine continues to weigh on the global apple supply chain, as supply fears intensify and uncertainty remains surrounding the availability of raw materials, demand and trade.
The Polish apple market was affected directly by a drop in export demand after being unable to export to two of its major traditional markets, Russia and Belarus. On 29th June, Belarus extended an embargo until the end of 2022 (introduced initially for six months from Dec ‘21) on fruit and vegetable supplies amongst other EU products. As a result, Polish growers are seeking alternative markets to expand export growth, such as Malaysia, which is expected to become Poland's latest apple market destination.
Despite the price rise, according to estimates by the World Apple and Pear Association, European apple stocks stood at 535,521 tons on the 1st of July 2022, up 16.5% YoY. Preliminary estimates for European apple production in the 2022/23 season show a rise of 1% YoY, coming out 9% higher compared to the previous three-year average of 12.2 mln tons.
Source: mintecglobal.com