Fruit harvest in the Czech Republic increased by 23% to 165,028 metric tons last year, the highest since 2018 and the third highest in 13 years. The main contributor to this increase was the apple crop, which rose by 26% to 138,150 metric tons.

The pear crop also remained at an above-average 7,404 tonnes. Fruit growers did not harvest some apples the previous year due to high energy costs for storage and low apple prices. The increase was attributed to favorable weather in the second half of the year.

However, the harvest of apricots fell by 8% to 1,704 metric tons due to cold weather in April which affected some varieties. Additionally, peach harvest was 36% below the five-year average, as the acreage for peach production has been reduced by 70% since 2011.

Despite the increase in harvest, fruit prices in stores are not significantly impacted as the Czech Republic is only 30 to 40% self-sufficient in fresh fruit production, so market and price developments in Europe govern the prices of fruit on the shelves of shops.

Article by Prague Forum