Apples, originating from Central Asia, have been consumed throughout the world for several thousand years. The fruit has featured in many major mythologies and religions throughout the ages, including Greek, European Christian and Norse traditions.
If apple trees are grown from the seed, they tend to be pretty large in size. However, if they are grafted into roots, then the size of the tree is significantly smaller. There are around 7,500 types of apples currently in the world. Different types of apple trees, or cultivars, are bred for various purposes, mostly in order to obtain different tastes and textures. These differences allow apples to be used for a variety of purposes, such as to be eaten raw, as a cider or cooked.
Production of apples is a multi-billion dollar industry. Apples are supplied year round, which means they need to be stored since harvesting season obviously doesn’t last the whole year (though another way to ensure the steady supply of apples is to grow various types of it since different types are harvested in different periods). Hence, apples which are to be sold directly are often stored for months where the warehouses or the chambers possess temperature controlling technology while also having carbon dioxide in high concentration. This is done in order to ensure that the ethylene does not increase too quickly, which in turn will lead to the apples ripening too quickly.
To determine the countries that export the most apples in the world, InsiderMonkey chose to rely on statistics from Worlds Top Exports, which had several interesting statistics such as the fact that apple exports globally earned over $7.5 billion. It also contained information on the countries which have exported the most apples.
Here is the list of the biggest apple exporters in the world:
10. Belgium
Export of apples in 2014: $149,496,000
9. Netherlands
Export of apples in 2014: $221,079,000
8. South Africa
Export of apples in 2014: $353,652,000
7. New Zealand
Export of apples in 2014: $433,160,000
6. Poland
Export of apples in 2014: $441,766,000
5. France
Export of apples in 2014: $719,954,000
4. Chile
Export of apples in 2014: $822,347,000
3. Italy
Export of apples in 2014: $975,630,000
2. China
Export of apples in 2014: $1,027,637,000
1. The United States of America
Export of apples in 2014: $1,088,369,000
While China produces the most apples in the world, it is the United States, with exports worth well over a billion dollars, that allows it to top the list of 10 countries that export the most apples in the world.
