The first Gala apples were picked in France, and the country's growers have higher expectations for this season than what they had last year. With this year's crop expected to be smaller in size than last year's with more volume.
“There is no reason to believe this season will be any more rough than the previous one, so we are positive about this year,” said Phillipe Jean of Cofruid'Oc. “The European crop looks big, but it won't be as big as it was last season.”
Phillipe is confident sales of Pink Lady apples will be good, as that variety brings good sales even in down years, but he's also optimistic about how the Gala crop will fare. The performance of their Granny Smith program will depend on this year's production, and he's expecting fewer apples which will mean larger sizes.
Phillipe added that he, like all other European shippers, continues to feel the impact of the Russian embargo on European goods. Though Cofruid'Oc is not directly impacted, as they have never focused much on the Russian market, not having Russia as an outlet for European fruit puts pressure on the European market as well as the Asian market, where many European growers send their fruit. Nonetheless, Phillipe remains optimistic about this year's prospects.
“The market in Europe is empty now, so there is no competition for Galas,” he said. “We still have to do the job, but we are confident about this year.”
