French apple volumes are now expected to be 3 per cent lower than was predicted at Prognosfruit in August, according to the French topfruit association, while the pear harvest has been revised up
ANPP, France’s National Apple and Pear Association, has revised its estimate for this season’s apple harvest due to the impact of adverse weather conditions during the spring and harvesting period following the initial forecasts announced at Prognosfruit in August.
The apple volume from France is expected to be 3 per cent lower than the Prognosfruit forecast at 1.42mn tonnes, 5 per cent less than in 2023, but still in line with the three-year average.
Among the main varieties, only Golden Delicious and Jonagold are estimated to be above average, according to reports.
“The French apple harvest therefore remains at an average level, nothing more, in a European context of significant deficit,” the ANPP stated. “Recent information from other Member States provides the following details: the weather conditions since Prognosfruit and the small sizes could lead to a harvest lower than the 10.2mn tonnes announced at Prognosfruit.”
The Association provided brief summaries of the apple forecasts in other European Member States:
- Spain: small sizes, significant downward revision in Catalonia (520,000 tonnes/567,000 tonnes).
- Italy: slight increase. Large sizes. Harvest delay. Less industry.
- Germany: low harvest in the north, but upward revision in the south.
- Belgium: stable.
- Netherlands: slight decrease/forecast.
- Slovenia: down (heatwave and drought).
- Czech Republic, Austria, Romania: low initial harvest still impacted by storm Boris.
- Poland: heatwave in August. Over-ripe, poor storage. Two weeks ahead of schedule.
For French pears, by contrast, the harvest has been revised upwards, with 134,000 tonnes now forecast, compared with the 119,000 tonnes announced in August.
