Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/590163
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER NOVEMBER 2015 29 Low profi ts worry European growers E uropean fruit growers expected to harvest 12 million metric tons of apples this year, 5 per- cent less than last year but 7 percent higher than the average for the past three years. Daniel Sauvaitre, president of the World Apple and Pear Association, reported that prospects for this season are better than a year ago. There was little carryover from last season, and the region has made considerable progress in developing overseas markets, aided by the lower value of the euro. However, there is still great concern about low returns to growers. Last season, the Russian embargo, together with a relatively large crop, resulted in a 20 percent drop in returns to growers, with many suffering losses, according to WAPA. Russia typically imported 800,000 tons of apples from Europe. The European Union offered compensation for not picking apples and pears or for donating them to schools, hospi- tals, or nursing homes, according to European Fruit Magazine. That resulted in about 250,000 tons of apples and pears being kept off the market. "The ongoing support from the European Commission to alleviate the effects of the Russian embargo is greatly appreciated by the industry," said Hans van Es, chair of the Fruit and Vegetable Committee of Copa-Cogeca, an organization that represents European farmers and their coopera- tives. "However, the reduction in returns to growers is a considerable concern, which, unless corrected during the coming season, will have an adverse impact on future investment and production." French growers are using low-input and ecological growing methods, a strategy that has led to low yields. The grower at this orchard is providing nesting boxes for red mason bees (Osmia rufa) to enhance pollination. Many of Poland's packing houses have been built in the past decade with subsidies from the European Union and feature modern robotic equipment. The typical packing plant in Germany has solar panels on the roof, which supply most of the facility's power. The packaging of these Idared apples, on sale at a Swiss grocery store, provides consumers with a lot of information, including: variety name, taste group (mild, sweet), region of origin, name of the organic certifi er, date of packing (June 12), weight, and price (the equivalent of U.S.$3 a pound). holds the Low profi ts worry European growers Many of Poland's packing houses have been built in the past decade with subsidies from the European Union and feature modern robotic equipment. The typical packing plant in Germany has solar panels on the roof, which supply most of the facility's power. as Washington), and France is third with 1.6 million tons. Granatstein and Ostenson visited the Research Institute of Horticulture at Skierniewice, Poland, which has 125 doctoral scientists working on fruit and vegetable research and has 1,000 acres of experimental ground. They also visited Poland's main apple growing district around Gródek, which has 100,000 acres of apples— about the same as Washington State. Historically, when the land was allocated to families, it was divided into long strips, perhaps a kilometer long and tens of meters wide, in an attempt to avoid some people receiving bet- ter farmland than others. However, this confi guration complicates the spray program, particularly for organic. Poland has 312 apple packing plants, most of them built since 2004 when the country became a member of the European Union. The EU offers subsidies for FRANCE SWITZERLAND GERMANY POLAND EDGE GERMANY POLAND FRANCE SWITZERLAND