The French apple sector has been cheered by the news that the New Zealand Braeburn crop is likely to be some 20 per cent down on last season.
“What we are seeing at the moment is that the market for French apples is both active in terms of volume, and firm on pricing,” said Vincent Guérin, of the French national apple section. “Looking at the stock figures at the beginning of January, things were quite optimistic for Gala, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, but there was more concern with regard to Braeburn as the market is more narrow - globally there are fewer destinations for Braeburn. However, with this information now from New Zealand, I think that concern among the French apple sector will soon be lifted.”
Guérin is looking forward to the meeting of the World Apple & Pear Association on Friday in Berlin, to get a clearer picture of the global marketplace for the second half of the French season.
Meanwhile, in the UK, for Mark Culley of OrchardWorld, although the English apple season has been going well, there has been more concern surrounding French apple campaign. “The biggest issue has been to sell through Braeburn,” said Culley. “There is a bigger crop and the English are growing more too. We have sold more Gala and Granny Smith is relatively tight, but overall sales of Golden Delicious as a variety are at best stagnant in the UK, if not declining.”
The situation is trickier too because of the strength of the euro against sterling. “French product is looking more expensive as a result,” said Culley. “In less than six months the euro has strengthened by about 12 per cent and so prices have to go up. Distribution costs have increased and growers want more money it is very difficult.”
At the beginning of January, total European apple stocks stood at 3.138 million tonnes, compared to 3.099mt a year previously. In the UK the stock figure was 19 per cent down on a year ago, while in France it was up by about five per cent.
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