July 24, 2024 – The Analysis Office presents the latest special report, this time concerning Polish apple producers.
In the report we described, among other things:
- World apple production and Poland’s success among the largest apple producers,
- Poland’s importance for apple production in the European Union,
- Characteristics of Polish fruit growing,
- Challenges facing Polish apple producers.
We encourage you to read the full version of the report, and below is its summary:
- Poland has enjoyed considerable success in producing apples since the 1960s. Our share of global production has increased from around 0.9% in the mid-1960s to almost 4.4% today. At the end of 2022, Poland was the fourth largest producer of these fruits in the world.
- China is the world’s largest apple producer. It accounts for over 49.6% of global apple production. It is the second largest exporter of apples (14.3% share) and the largest exporter of apple concentrate (22.6%).
- In the European Union, Poland has become the largest producer of apples. Poland’s share in EU apple production has increased, from 20.5% in 2004 to 34.0% in 2022.
- Our production growth also had a significant impact on other European apple producers. For example, in the Netherlands, fruit growers, faced with competition from Poland, began to systematically reduce apple production while increasing pear production.
- Poland has achieved success not only as an apple producer, but also as an apple exporter. Although the vast majority of apples are produced for industrial processing, we have increased the export of these fruits from around PLN 415 million in 2004 to over PLN 1,827 million in 2023. We are the seventh largest exporter of apples in the world (second in the EU) and the second largest exporter of apple concentrate in the world.
- The area of apple orchards in Poland is the largest in the European Union. Poland’s share in the total of orchards in the European Union was 31.8% and was slightly smaller than the next three countries (Italy, Romania and France) combined.
- There is a concentration of fruit production in Poland – in the years 2002-2020 the number of fruit farms decreased by about 51%.
- The vast majority of apples produced in Poland are used for industrial processing.
- Until the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the fruit-growing industry there was becoming increasingly significant competition for the Polish one. Modern orchards were planted there, and old orchards were liquidated. We have a relatively similar list of apple recipients with Ukraine – out of the ten largest recipients, we share 4 countries.
- Fruit production efficiency is another challenge facing Polish fruit growers. 28.1 tons of apples were produced in Poland from one hectare. And although we have improved significantly compared to previous years, in France, about 23 tons more are still produced from one hectare, in Italy, about 14 tons more, and in the USA, almost 10 tons more.
We invite you to read the full version of the report.
