Fruit growers benefit from stronger growing season

Good news for Dutch fruit growers: this year’s apple and pear harvest is shaping up to be much better than last year’s. Apple volumes are up 17 percent, pears by 8 percent. Not an all-time high, but solid enough to call it a good season.

More fruit, fewer hectares

226 million kilos of apples. 348 million kilos of pears. That’s the current forecast, based on figures from GroentenFruit Huis and the Nederlandse Fruittelers Organisatie (NFO), compiled by the Oogstraming working group.

What stands out: the acreage is shrinking. Apple cultivation is down 3 percent to 5,086 hectares. Pear orchards have dropped 1 percent, now totaling 9,969 hectares. Fewer trees, yet more fruit on the branches.

Elstar holds the lead

Elstar tops the charts once again. Forecasts suggest 93 million kilos, up 17 percent compared to last year. Jonagold (including Jonagored) follows with 52 million kilos, a 13 percent increase. Kanzi and Rode Boskoop take the next spots.

As for pears? Conference still towers above the rest. This variety accounts for around 75 percent of the total Dutch pear harvest, estimated at 260 million kilos. The rest comes from varieties such as Doyenné du Comice, Beurré Alexander Lucas and Xenia, each producing about 21 million kilos.

Sector remains alert

The mood is upbeat. Understandably so, last year’s harvest was heavily affected by unpredictable weather. This year, conditions are far more favourable. “Thanks to a good growing season, we expect a high-quality harvest this year,” the organisations report.

That doesn’t mean the pressure is off. Rising costs and plant health concerns continue to pose challenges.

Groentenfruithuis.nl