This year’s Prognosfruit Conference in Konstanz paints a mixed picture for the European apple industry: while the significantly smaller EU harvest is offset by remaining stocks from the 2025 crop, the market continues to be shaped by extreme weather events and rising production costs.
The EU apple harvest for 2026 is estimated at 9.5 million metric tons. This represents a decline of 15.6% compared to the previous year and is 14.3% below the three-year average.
With 2.67 million metric tons, Poland remains Europe’s largest apple producer, followed by Italy (2.27 million metric tons), France (1.16 million metric tons), and Germany (1.01 million metric tons).
The decline in the harvest is particularly sharp in Poland. With a harvest that is approximately 30% lower than last year and 27% below the three-year average, Poland is among the countries with the most significant declines within the EU. Frost and weather-related challenges have impacted the harvest.
Nevertheless, Poland remains the most important procurement market for the European processing industry. Several market participants expect that the actual harvest volume could ultimately turn out to be slightly higher than currently forecast.
The EU organic apple harvest is projected to decline by about 14%. While Poland and France expect significant losses in their organic apple harvests due to late frosts, Germany—despite a smaller harvest—remains in line with long-term averages, with a decline of 18.7%. Hardy and scab-resistant varieties are becoming increasingly important, as they are better suited to the requirements of organic farming and the challenges of climate change.
Despite the smaller EU apple crop, many market participants initially expect supply to remain adequate. This assessment is mainly driven by existing inventories and the forecast harvests of key apple-producing countries outside the EU.
Turkey, in particular, is expected to recover from last year’s frost damage and return to an average crop of 4.67 million tonnes.
Against this backdrop, we anticipate sufficient product availability and stable prices throughout the fourth quarter of 2026. Many traders and processors expect the market to tighten only from spring 2027 onwards, provided inventories are reduced at a steady pace and actual harvest volumes in Poland, Germany, and Italy fall below current projections.
Drought, frost, and hail are forcing European fruit growers to increase their investments in irrigation and protection systems. At the same time, production costs continue to rise throughout the value chain.
To produce our apple ingredients, we rely on high-quality, sustainably grown apples from long-standing partner farms in Germany and Poland. Through these trusted relationships, we ensure consistently high quality and reliable availability. Together with our partner Biosanica, we also offer you a diverse selection of apple chips and other apple ingredients certified to EU-Bio, Naturland, Bioland, and Demeter standards.
Please feel free to contact us for more information about the cultivation and production of our apple ingredients. In addition, you have the opportunity to work with our team to develop new product and line concepts.
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If you have any questions or would like a quote for ingredients from the new apple harvest, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We look forward to supporting you with high-quality apple ingredients again this season.
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