Contrasting expectations for EU’s apple and pear crops

EU apple production is set to grow by 10% this season. However, pear volumes are estimated to plummet by 28%, according to data presented at the Prognosfruit 2021 Online Conference. The start of the season is expected to be delayed by a week, while calibres will be average.
The EU apple crop for the 2021/2022 season is estimated at 11.7 million tons, which is 1% higher than the 3-year average. The European sector continues to introduce new varieties suited to the quality specifications demanded by consumers.
Dominik Wozniak, President of WAPA, said: 

“The market outlook is promising to be balanced between opportunities on the domestic market, with development on strategic export markets as well as volume for processing estimated to be about 4 million tons, balancing supply being the fresh and processed markets. Organic production continues to grow slowly each year reaching now around 6% of total EU crop.”

By contrast, the 2021 pear crop is projected to fall by 28% to 1.6 million tons – 27% below the three-year average. The smallest crop for pears this decade features an 18% decrease in volumes of Conference pears (805,000 tons), while output of Abate is down 73% to 66,000 tons.