The production of apples and pears in France has decreased compared to last year, mostly because of a smaller harvest. This according to the French ministry of agriculture.
Late September the apple supply was 44% lower than in September 2012. According to estimates the production of apples is down 24%. Prognosfruit states it’s a 9% drop compared to the European 2011 average. With supplies running low, prices are markedly higher. At the start of the season, prices already rose with 21% compared to the 2007-2011 average. By September the increase was 23% higher. Pears went through a similar movement, with a 34% drop in production.
The market for top fruit was stable for quite a while, but in August the supply soared. A big chunk of the surplus has been shipped to Russia, Germany and Scandinavia. Despite a relatively small crop, prices remained more or less the same. Now, with the current production shortage, prices went up with 33% compared to the 5-year average.
Source: www.freshplaza.com