Polish apple prices are so low that it’s leading to demonstrations. Increased costs like electricity and labor do not mix well with the current prices and according to one Polish apple exporter it could lead to farms going out of business.
Overall the Polish apple season has been doing fine in terms of export volumes, says Fruit-Group office manager Emilia Lewandowska: “In September and October, we did a lot of export for long distance shipments. Export for long shipments has been 40% higher this year. For our company, the total sold quantity of apples, for both export and local demand, was 30 percent higher compared to September of 2020. December is coming up, which is normally the most stable month of the season. Year after year we sell similar quantities during this period.”
However, prices are very low for Polish apples and the industry is not happy with the situation, Lewandowska explains. “This season, the prices are very low. Polish apples are the cheapest in Europe at this time. We have producers demonstrating, as there is a general dissatisfaction in our industry, regarding the season. Prices for plant health substances, electricity and labor costs are going up. If the current situation lingers for too long, it will lead to bankruptcy of multiple farms. In short, the current prices of the apples can’t ensure profitability in the business.”
Asian markets have shown a lot more interest in the Polish apples this year, which can be explained by the current prices. “When it comes to demand, we did notice a higher demand from long distance markets, like India and Vietnam, when compared to last year. The cause of this is simple, Poland currently has lower prices than we did in 2020, so our produce is more interesting for these Asian markets. In terms of logistics, there were some problems, but nothing significant. There were more problems with the packaging of the products. During the period of September and October it was harder to obtain the packing materials.” Lewandowska concludes.
