While it is generally accepted that Poland will produce a bumper apple crop in 2018/19, exactly how much Europe's largest producer of the fruit will turn out is up for some debate.
At Prognosfruit, which took place in Warsaw earlier this month, the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) revealed that the country was forecast to produce 4.48m tonnes, up 56 per cent on the 2.87m tonnes it grew commercially in 2017/18.
However, a new US Department of Agriculture (USDA) GAIN report has suggested that FAS Warsaw is anticipating a crop of 4m tonnes, up 43 per cent on the previous campaign.
In addition, the report highlighted official data published by the Government of Poland's Main Statistical Office (GOP/MSO), which pegged the crop even lower at 3.6m tonnes – although the USDA acknowledged that, in recent years, the Polish apple industry's production data has been 'noticeably higher' than GOP data.
FAS Warsaw said that 2018/19 exports are set to increase 'significantly', due to record production and good fruit quality.
