The Polish apple market seems to be in recovery from the low prices. Although not all problems have been solved, prices are going up, the quality of the harvest is still on par and Asia seems to be very interested in the fruit from Poland.
The apple situation in Poland has been going well for the past three months. Jan Nowakowski, manager for Genesis Fresh, claims Poland is still a very strong player on the market: “At the moment there are still quite a lot of apples, but the sales are also picking up. The prices are moderate with potential to grow, I can say with confidence that the Polish apples are still the cheapest ones on the market.”
Nowakowski is noticing a trend when it comes to apple prices though, specifically the industry apples: “Currently the price of industrial apple has doubled compared to a few months ago, which is really strange, but positive. Companies who produce fruit juices are quite surprised, however there is still a high demand from the factories. They seem to have come to terms with this new price, which is also great news for our growers. They now have a dependable income, and because the prices of industrial apples have gone up, so have the prices for consumption apples. And the prices are still rising!”
“last time, I was hoping to get more presence in the Asian market. I’m happy to say they’re even more interested now than they were back then. Demand is very high and a lot of Asian importers are looking for apples from Europe,” Nowakowski explains. “The worry we have is regarding the payment for our produce. We know some experienced traders from Holland and Belgium, and getting your fruit into Asia isn’t easy, but making sure you’re getting paid is just as hard. Making sure the apples have the required quality in terms of shelf life can also be a challenge when exporting to Asia.”
Idared is the cheapest apple around in Poland, and that price tag ensures the variety continues to enjoy popularity. The Asian market requires a bit more taste and overall quality though, says Nowakowski: “The varieties that will be popular for these markets are Gala Royal, Gala Must, Red Jonaprince and Golden varieties. The Chinese market will be interesting, as I feel we have the sweetness in our apples that the clients want. We might lack a bit on the shelf life this season, like I mentioned earlier.”
For 2019, Nowakowski has set some clear goals with Genesis Fresh. “We want to have more presence in Asia overall, but also in Africa. These new markets aren’t the main focus though, as we still feel Europe is our main market. We have great experiences within the European market and would like to export more varieties to these countries. If we could find new ways to package the apples, suited to our clients’ needs, that would also be a great accomplishment.” Nowakowski concludes.
