In some regions, the apple harvest may be almost zero
This was reported by Mykola Bublik, director of the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, writes RBC-Ukraine.
Spring frosts destroyed the blossoms early in the season, but there were also later frosts that hit the already formed fruits. Added to this was the dry summer of 2024, during which the fruit buds for this season were formed.
According to Bublik, the outlook for the future harvest is mixed: from zero to half of last year's figures. Even within one farm, the situation can differ drastically.
"Some varieties simply did not bloom this year. Not because of frosts, but because they did not form fruit buds due to last year's drought. In a significant part of the territories, there will be no harvest or it will be very small. For example, in Cherkasy region, the situation is critical — practically 99% of the harvest has died," explained the scientist.
In Sumy and Chernihiv regions, damage reaches 80-90%, sometimes even 100%. The harvest here will be, at best, symbolic. In Kharkiv region, the situation is even worse: for the second year in a row, the region is almost completely without apples. In southern regions, there are no sufficient observations, but the situation there is not much better.
"Overall in Ukraine, if there will be 50-60% of last year's apple harvest, that would be good. But it is still early to talk about final figures, as the harvest could still be hit by hail or destroyed by pests," noted Bublik.
Due to the low harvest, the price of apples will increase, but exactly how much will also depend on fruit imports and yields abroad.
"The price will definitely be high. How high depends on when and how the products are sold. But there definitely won't be cheap apples," warns the specialist.
The retail prices for apples in Ukraine are on average twice as high as during the same period last year. Last year's apple stocks are rapidly decreasing, and the arrival of the new harvest is not expected earlier than in a few weeks.
