With just weeks to go before the harvest of European apples begins, the apple market in the UK is under pressure from old season stock and southern hemisphere supplies.
While the UK market is not suffering as much as continental Europe, prices across most varieties and sources are still rock bottom, with cartons of Fuji from France, Chile and China as low as 475p a 10kg carton or 575p for 18kg.
The problems have been building all season with increased supplies from Poland and Hungary into Germany having a knock-on effect across the Continent.
The global oversupply picture has been further compounded this summer as fruit from the southern hemisphere has arrived in abundance while stocks of French fruit were running as high as 50 per cent above last season's levels in May.
New Zealand senders have complained that this is one of their worst seasons in living memory as prices are squeezed. The UK market is managing to maintain slightly higher prices than on the Continent especially for premium fruit such as Jazz, thanks in part to the strength of sterling, but it is still a disappointing season.
The only top fruit that is holding its own at this point in the season is Golden Delicious from South Africa to the extent that covering the gap before new season French fruit is available is likely to be a major challenge. This week it was one of the most expensive apples on Covent Garden at 1200p for 18kg even outstripping Chilean Pink Lady at 1100p for the same weight.
No comments yet