Frost damage caused a drop in apple yield across Europe in 2019, by approximately 20%. All major apple-producing countries, such as Poland, France, and Hungary, have been affected by these weather conditions and are experiencing a drop in apple production. Poland was especially hard-hit, as production has decreased by almost 40%. Certain varieties, such as Jonagold, Idared, and Red Delicious, were amongst the most affected and experienced extremely high fruit fall due to spring frost.
The drop in production is accompanied by a drop in demand. Due to 2018’s record-high production, a lot of apples were placed in warehouses. Record-high levels of stock in France and Spain, as well as extremely high stocks in Poland and Hungary, have reduced the need for apples. The prices for apples in stock are also significantly lower than those of fresh apples due to lower quality. Nevertheless, prices over the next few months are expected to be significantly higher than last year due to the production decrease.
