Germany harvested 1.1 million tonnes of apples in 2022, up 6.6% compared with the previous year, according to latest data from the Federal Statistical Office, Destatis.
In this period, the area under apple cultivation in the country decreased by around 520 hectares, or 1.5%.
The apple harvest increased by 10.3% compared with long-term average of the years 2012 to 2021.
In terms of the highest-yielding apple harvests in the last ten years, the 2022 harvest emerged third after 2014 and 2018, each with yields exceeding 1.1 million tonnes, data showed.
Regional Growth
The two largest apple-growing regions in Germany are Altes Land (Lower Saxony and Hamburg) and Lake Constance (Baden-Württemberg).
Around 374,400 tonnes of apples were harvested in Baden-Württemberg in 2022, followed by 313,700 tonnes in Lower Saxony.
The two states accounted for two-thirds (64.2%) of the apple harvest in the country in the 2022 crop year.
Out of the total, 765,800 tonnes (71.5%) were offered for sale as table fruit, while around a quarter of the harvest (26.5% or 283,800 tonnes) was used for making fruit juice, preserves or apple wine.
The remaining 21,400 tonnes were not marketed due to captive use, storage or processing losses, Destatis noted.
Plum Production
Plum production in Germany increased by 17.4% year-on-year in 2022 to 46,800 tonnes, up from 46,800 tonnes in the previous year.
The production area decreased by 1.8%, or around 76 hectares, in the period.
The average harvest volume over the past ten years (44,400 tonnes) increased by 5.6%, mainly due to favourable weather conditions leading to good fruit set and high-yielding trees.
Plums and damsons are among the alternating types of tree fruit, which after a low-yield harvest year (like 2021) usually bring a good harvest in the following year, Destatis added.
Harvest in Baden-Württemberg amounted to 18,200 tonnes, while Rhineland-Palatinate produced 11,000 tonnes.
The combined harvest volume in these two states of 29,200 tonnes comprised 62.3% of German plum harvest in 2022.
Other Tree Fruit Harvests
In 2022, apples accounted for around 88.7% of the total harvest volume among tree fruits, while the share of plums and damsons stood at 3.9%.
Harvests also include 38,500 tonnes of sweet cherries (3.2%), 36,300 tonnes of pears (3.0%), 10,200 tonnes of sour cherries (0.8%), and 4,500 tonnes of Mirabelle plums and greengage (0.4%).
©2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest fresh produce news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
