Apple – Polish national good
Climate conditions (temperate climate with adequate rainfall and sunshine) and soil conditions conducive to cultivating apples make Polish apples extremely juicy and tasty, which makes Poland one of the largest producers of this fruit in the world.
Apples have been present in Polish homes for centuries, and they came to Poland from Central Asia, through Minor Asia. The first apple trees in Poland were cultivated in the 12th century in Cistercian gardens. In view of their unique taste and health-promoting properties, they quickly became a Polish national fruit.
According to FAO data, in 2022 Poland was ranked fourth in the global production of apples, after China, Turkey and the United States. At the same time, according to EUROSTAT, Poland is the largest producer of apples in the European Union. The harvest of apples in Poland accounts for, on average, 4% of the global harvest volume and about 30% of the EU harvest volume.
The main competitors of Poland in the harvest of apples in the EU market are Italy, France and Germany. These countries have a smaller apple cultivation area, when compared to Poland, with the higher production efficiency. Differences in yields obtained result from the different varietal structure, climatic conditions and differences in the level of agricultural management of orchards.
Polish superfood- apple
Not without reason, is apple fruit considered synonymous with health in many cultures. Apples are a source of vitamin C, group B vitamins, vitamins A, E, as well as folic acid, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, boron and polyphenols. They also contain fibre that supports the intestinal function and pectins that lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. Apart from many health-promoting values, apples are characterised by their high culinary and industrial usefulness.
Apples are also used to make valuable apple cider vinegar and cider. At the same time, apples are durable fruit – some varieties, when proper storage conditions are kept, can be stored for up to several months.
Apple cultivation in Poland
The apple cultivation area in Poland in the years 2013–2023 ranged from 150 thousand ha to 193 thousand ha. Such a wide diversification of the apple cultivation area was caused by several factors, including: rooting out old orchards, introducing new plantings, eliminating damaged trees and changing the varietal structure of apple trees. In the last two years (2022–2023), the apple cultivation area in Poland was 150–152 thousand ha.
Apples are of the greatest importance in the tree fruit harvest in Poland. Their share in the total structure of tree fruit harvest in the years 2020–2023 stood at 90% when compared to 87% in the years 2010–2013, and in the total production of fruit – 79% and 73%, respectively.
Since 2013, the harvest of apples in Poland has exceeded 3 million tonnes. The exception was the lean year of 2017, in which, due to unfavourable weather conditions, the harvest was reduced to 2.4 million tonnes.
In 2023, about 3.9 million tonnes of apples were harvested in Poland, by 9% less than in the previous year. According to the preliminary GUS estimate of September 2024, the harvest of apples from apple orchards in 2024 will probably amount to 3.2 million tonnes and will be about by 17% lower than in 2023.
There are several tens of apple varieties registered in Poland. The most popular are: Idared, Jonagold, Champion, Ligol, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gala, Gloster, Lobo, Cortland.
The harvest of apples in Poland varies in regional terms. Natural conditions, traditions and structural transformations in agriculture and processing industry have resulted in an increase in the specialisation of production in individual voivodeships.
Most apples are harvested in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, whose share in the total harvest in the years 2014-2023 was within the range of 45–48%. The region responsible for this high concentration of production in Mazowsze is the Grójecko-Warecki region, where the most modern and efficient fruit farms operate.
In this area, processing plants, trading companies and producer organisations involved in the distribution of apples and their products in the domestic and foreign markets have been established. Other regions with a relatively high share of the harvest of apples in domestic production are
- Łódzkie (16% share),
- Świętokrzyskie (15%) and
- Lubelskie (9%) voivodeships.
Apple trade
Poland is one of the largest exporters of apples in the world. In 2023, the domestic export amounted to 817 thousand tonnes. The export volume of apples from our country is determined by the harvest volume, prices in the international market and foreign demand.
In the years 2020–2023, the largest quantity of apples from Poland were sent to the EU countries (55–60% of the volume).
The export volume was dependent on the yield of the other leading producers. In 2023, among the EU countries, the largest customers of apples from Poland were:
- Germany (10% of export volume – 83 thousand tonnes),
- Romania (9% – 71 thousand tonnes),
- Spain (5% – 39 thousand tonnes),
- the Netherlands (4% – 33 thousand tonnes),
- Hungary (4% – 32 thousand tonnes),
- France (4% – 32 thousand tonnes) and
- Sweden (4% – 29 thousand tonnes).
Among non-EU countries, the most important partners were:
- Egypt (8% – 62 thousand tonnes),
- Kazakhstan (7% – 58 thousand tonnes),
- Belarus (4% – 36 thousand tonnes) and
- India (4% – 35 thousand tonnes).
Source: Polish Food