Things seem to be going from bad to worse this season for a majority of Polish apple growers. Many growers kept a majority of their apples in storage for as long as possible this year in the hopes that prices would rise as they did last year. Now, along with oversupply, reports of quality issues are causing additional problems for growers trying to sell their supplies.
"The biggest problem that the quality issues are causing is for long distance exports to Asia, Africa or North America because the browning only presents itself on arrival." said Marek Marzec, founder and board member of Ewa-Bis.
Along with keeping the apples too long in storage, many believe that the very hot temperatures during harvest time last season are also causing the brown spots and quality issues. It is crucial for eating apples to be picked at exactly the right time, with the right temperature and this doesn't seem to be the case.
Marek added that a lack of additional experience with the latest storage techniques, along with many not having the proper equipment also made the problem worse.
"Anyone can build the buildings, but they are useless if you don't have the right knowledge. Growers will be more cautious next season and many are turning to specialists for help." said Marek.
Companies such as Ewa-Bis are working with government institutes to improve orchard development and plan on setting up programmes to monitor the situation from the beginning to the end of the season. These programmes will help growers from start to finish; from production in the orchards to providing information about the proper storage conditions, along with monitoring storage throughout the process.
"Education, along with research, is key. Polish growers will likely look to countries such as the Netherlands, who are much more advanced in these areas, for information and education on how to improve and modernise their processes." concluded Marek.
