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From George Moeritz
Dresden. A single cold night in April caused millions in damage to Saxony's fruit growers: Jörg Geithel, Chairman of the Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt Fruit Growers' Association, now expects losses of up to 70 million euros due to frost damage. During the night of April 23, fruit blossoms and vines that had made great progress in the warm spring were damaged. The harvest is now imminent, but Saxon apples will be in short supply this fall.
The Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden presented new harvest estimates on Thursday: Saxony is still the third largest apple-growing region in Germany with 2,300 hectares. However, because "an extremely low harvest" is expected there, three quarters of all German apples are likely to come from Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony this year. There was not the same severe frost damage as in Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
According to the statisticians, the apple harvest in Germany as a whole is expected to be the lowest since 2017. A quarter fewer apples are expected to be picked this year than the average of the last ten years. In the south-eastern federal states, a shortfall of up to 90 percent is expected. Saxon winegrowers are doing without Federweißen this year, some are talking about a total loss. The winegrowers' association expects that only 20 to 30 percent of a normal harvest will end up in the cellars.
Saxony's state government helps with 22 million euros
Saxony's Ministry of Agriculture in Dresden does not yet have its own estimates for the upcoming harvest. However, a spokesperson reminds us that the State government releases 22 million euros in aid for fruit growers and winegrowers in June has. Applications to the Sächsische Aufbaubank should be "possible from the end of September". The federal government has also submitted an application for emergency financial aid to the EU Commission. According to MDR information, Saxony-Anhalt will receive five million euros in aid, Thuringia two million.
The Fruit Growers' Association of Saxony & Saxony-Anhalt had already announced in June that at least 27 million euros were needed in Saxony to maintain the farms and finance the maintenance work until the next harvest. The aid money was "not enough in the end" because the farms had not been able to build up any reserves in previous years. However, some savings could be made this year on storage and harvest workers.
Apple juice a third more expensive than four years ago
Saxony's Agriculture Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) had said in June that the Saxon aid program was a major political effort. The Finance Minister had called for savings. Up to ten million euros could be taken from the climate fund temporarily and on a one-off basis, but would have to flow back into it next year. The money will then be needed in Saxony for water management tasks.
Saxony's fruit growers will probably prefer to sell their scarce apples in their own farm stores and at markets, where they can achieve higher profit margins than in supermarkets. The Kelterei Sachsenobst will probably also buy fruit from outside Saxony. Market experts, the fruit juice industry and fruit processors such as jam producers are expecting prices to rise, provided they can be implemented in the trade.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, apple juice is currently a third more expensive than in 2020, while orange juice has risen by 57%. Harvests were also weak elsewhere: In Poland, the most important supplier country for strawberries, only half the usual amount was harvested, according to the Federal Association of the Fruit, Vegetable and Potato Processing Industry. (with dpa)
