The apple season has begun in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and the first types are available on the market. “We have received the first marketing results and we are quite optimistic,” CEO Klaus-Dieter Wilke of producer’s organization Mecklenburger Ernte GmbH explains. “Especially when one compares the current price situation to the one of a year ago.“ At the time, a record harvest and the Russia embargo had negatively affected the apple trade throughout all of Europe.
The CEO is also satisfied with the quality of the apples: “With a view to quality, our companies have recognized that one needs to be ready for anything. Especially for extreme weather phenomena, such as this year’s heat period, and climate change. With the help of the producers’ organization, our producers have created several irrigation capacities for their plantations in advance. Thus we were not as strongly affected by the great heat and drought this summer as other producers in other regions.”
Classical types
Mecklenburger Ernte GmbH has specialized in the marketing of classical apple types such as Jona Gold and Elstar, the CEO explains. “Other club types and mutants play a small part with us. Our producers are more regionally and classically focused.” The marketing of the apples also takes place mostly regionally, Wilke continues. “Beside the large German growing areas such as the Alte Land and Lake Constance, we play a minor role. We assert ourselves on the market with a high quality and the main focal point of our distribution is in the area of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin and Brandenburg.”
Produce for processing
Beside table fruit, the area of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is also characterized by various industrial fruit growers. Wilke describes the situation: “For our produce for processing, the cost prices of 2015 are clearly better than the year before. For during the last campaign, extremely bad prices have also been paid. If we were to cover the production costs of the producers however, these higher prices are unavoidable. Therefore the current situation is, compared to last year, quite pleasant.
Export
“Export has not played an important role for us thus far,” Klaus-Dieter Wilke explains. “Nevertheless, we very clearly support the intention of all German producer’s organizations of opening up new export markets. Especially the new markets in the Far East. In view of stagnating consumption figures in Germany and Mid-Europe, this is an urgent necessity.”
