Hungary: Lower apple production and higher prices
Due to the lack of rainfall, apple yields in Hungary have dropped, which has resulted in an increase…Due to the lack of rainfall, apple yields in Hungary have dropped, which has resulted in an increase in the price of the Golden or Idared varieties.
The total acreage of Hungarian apple orchards is estimated at between 26 and 27 thousand hectares, of which a significant share corresponds to old plantations and the majority are non-irrigated. That is why 60-70 percent of the apple harvest goes to the processing industry.
According to professionals, because of the summer drought, the apple production this year will be 500 thousand tonnes smaller than initially estimated. In this context, the prices at origin for the Idared between weeks 39 and 42 have stood at 179 HUF/kg (0.57 Euro), up by 55 percent compared to the same period last year, while the Golden has been an average of 48 percent more expensive, with 192 HUF/kg (0.61 Euro) during the the period at hand.
Meanwhile, Hungary's foreign trade balance remains positive. The export of apples for processing increased by 16 percent (679 tonnes), while fresh apple shipments grew by 55% (8.6 thousand tonnes) during the first seven months of 2015 compared to the same period last year.