Speaking at Italy’s Interpoma last week, World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) President Dominik Wozniak said the situation for growers and exporters in his home country of Poland was extremely difficult.
The main factors of influence were the absence of seasonal workers from Ukraine and the increase in production costs.
Dominik Wozniak noted that the difficulties in Poland, which producers had to face in recent months, are similar to the problems that have affected other European countries, for example, the growth of logistics, energy costs and the cost of agrochemicals and fertilizers.
Many seasonal workers in Poland are Ukrainians who, due to the events in Ukraine, were unable to take part in the harvest. In addition to these difficulties, many producers have opted to ship apples directly for processing in exchange for low prices, rather than incurring the cost of storing them in cold stores for the next few months.
According to WAPA, the total apple harvest in the European Union in the 2022/23 season will be 12.2 million tons. Poland will harvest the most – 4.75 million tons, followed by Italy and France – 2.05 million tons and 1.39 million tons, respectively.
