Current market information, summary of 2023 – production and export in Europe
The European Union is one of the world’s largest apple producers and exporters. Most European apples are exported as fresh dessert fruits and they are most sought after on world markets. The main apple producers in the EU are Poland, Italy, France, Germany and Spain. The apple harvest from these countries accounts for 80% of the total apple production in the European Community. What were other characteristics of the production and export of European apples last year?
Apple production in the EU
According to data provided by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), in 2023 the apple harvest in the EU was approximately 11.5 million tons of apples. An increase in apple production was recorded in Hungary, France, Spain, Romania and Croatia. Data from Statistics Poland shows that in 2023 the harvest from apple orchards in Poland exceeded 3.8 million tons.
Apple exports from Poland from January to November 2023
According to the data of the Integrated Agricultural Market Information System published in the quotations entitled “Fresh fruit and vegetables market”, from January to November 2023 approximately 740,000 tons of apples were exported from Poland. In 2022 it was 673,000 tons. The largest recipient of Polish apples in 2023 was Germany – approximately 71,000 tons. The next country is Romania – about 67,000 tons. Third place was taken by Egypt, where 57,000 tons of apples were exported.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the largest recipients of Polish apples were as follows:
- Germany – 71,514 tons
- Romania – 66,599 tons
- Egypt – 56,976 tons
- Kazakhstan – 54,432 tons
- Spain – 35,728 tons
- Belarus – 33,618 tons
- India – 32,225 tons
- Hungary – 30,434 tons
- The Netherlands – 28,419 tons
- Sweden – 26,546 tons
- Great Britain – 21,167 tons
Apple export from Poland in December 2023
In December 2023, 25,400 tons of apples were shipped out of the EU. At the beginning of the season, a 10% tariff on apples was introduced in Egypt. This concerned mainly apples from the EU, including Poland. Despite the tariff, in November 2023, 10,000 tons of Polish apples arrived in Egypt, i.e. over 1/3 of all exports. 4,600 tons were exported to India, and 2,000 tons of apples to Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan and Jordan each.