Schätzung der Obstbaubetriebe: Hitze und Trockenheit schmälern Apfelernte

The 2023 apple harvest in Germany is expected to be significantly impacted by heat and drought, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Farmers anticipate producing nearly 53,000 fewer apples compared to the average of the past decade, amounting to around 934,000 tons. This follows a particularly strong apple harvest in the previous year, which is projected to fall short by almost 18 percent.

Many apples are falling prematurely from the trees due to drought, remaining small, or being damaged by sunburn. In some cases, hail has completely destroyed entire crops. Despite these challenges, apples remain the most cultivated fruit, with 32,700 hectares under cultivation. Nearly two-thirds of these orchards are located in Baden-Württemberg (11,600 hectares) and Lower Saxony (8,400 hectares).

The apple harvest is expected to be about 66.6 percent of the total production in these two states. However, optimism exists for plum and cherry harvests. The forecast predicts an 11.5 percent increase in production, reaching nearly 49,300 tons, which is slightly lower than the exceptional output of the previous year. Plum and cherry orchards are primarily found in Baden-Württemberg (1,700 hectares) and Rhineland-Palatinate (900 hectares).

While businesses in Baden-Württemberg anticipate an 38 percent increase over the average, growers in Rhineland-Palatinate expect a yield below the ten-year average, around 8 percent less.