Although some areas in Poland were affected by the frost, the apple orchards of Ewa-Bis have not suffered any significant damages, says Adam Malengiewicz, sales manager for the Polish apple exporter: "Frosty nights in some areas of Poland destroyed flowers or young apple tree buds, of course the frosts did not occur uniformly and equally throughout Poland, this mainly affected the south-eastern area. There is no yield loss due to frost, but we may observe a slightly lower yield due to low temperatures during flowering. In Poland, frost protection is mainly achieved by heating orchards with various machines or by lighting small fires at regular intervals. We are also installing sprinkler systems in our orchards, which are gaining popularity. There have already been frosty nights, but they have not caused any damage in our orchards."
The result of the weather conditions will be a lower harvest, Malengiewicz explains. "I don't think that we can expect a record harvest in the coming season. I think it is difficult to accurately assess the level of losses, first of all, losses vary greatly depending on the region. On top of that, the yield was also reduced by low temperatures during flowering. However, it is interesting, the varieties that flowered earlier have relatively more apples on the tree, because flowering took place under better conditions. In our orchards, we did not observe significant frost damage, but in the orchards of our suppliers in an area other than Grójec, we observed major or minor damage that reduced the yield."
With the summer coming up, demand for apples traditionally slows down according to Malengiewicz: "The current season is going quite well, as others have been affected by the Red Sea blockade. At the moment, it's difficult to predict how many apples we'll have, because the harvest of berries and other fruits, such as strawberries, cherries and blueberries, is starting in Poland and Europe. Usually, this means that demand for apples drops in June. However, I think we will be able to supply apples for the new harvest, especially 'Golden Delicious' apples."
"Looking ahead at the new season, I do hope that the Red Sea will be unblocked. I also hope that people will not forget to eat apples, because they are tasty and healthy, especially those from Poland!" Malengiewicz concludes.
For more information:
Adam Malengiewicz
Ewa-Bis Sp. z o.o.
Email: [email protected]
www.ewabis.com.pl