Average harvest expected for cider fruits

The 2020 cider fruit harvest in Switzerland is projected to be around 2% lower than the average of the last four years, with an estimated 71,493 tonnes of cider apples and 7683 tonnes of pears. To address market congestion and reduce stocks of apple and pear juice concentrates, a withholding system, similar to the one used in 2019, has been implemented by Fruit-Union Suisse (FUS). This system allows for export of excess quantities as fresh fruit, concentrate, or finished products, with the cost of withholding starting at 5 francs / 100 kg for cider apples and 4 fr./100 kg for cider pears. The industry is fully covered by the Cider Fruit Fund, and organic cider fruits are exempt from this withholding. The sales of apple juice and pear juice products have partially shifted to retail due to the closure of food outlets, but sales have normalized since the reopening of excursion and leisure offers. The FUS is taking additional measures to promote sales, including participation in the “Restart Switzerland” campaign and planning a new wave of television ads for fall 2020.