Hungary expects worst apple harvest in 50 years

Hungary could harvest its smallest apple crop in 50 years in 2026. According to industry organization FruitVeB, production is forecast at just 130–140 thsd tons, compared with 170 thsd tons last year. In favorable years, the country’s apple production potential is estimated at 400–500 thsd tons.

Adverse weather has been the main reason for the sharp decline. Spring frosts caused losses of at least 60% of the potential crop, while summer heat and drought further worsened production prospects and fruit quality. If dry conditions persist, pre-harvest fruit drop could accelerate, while some apples may remain small and poorly colored.

Despite the sharp decline in production, Hungarian producer prices are currently 30–40% lower than at the start of last season. The base price for processing apples stands at 50–52 forints/kg (€0.14/kg), around 15 forints below the 2025 level and almost 30 forints below 2024.

Prices are being pressured by remaining stocks from last year’s crop, which are being sold at discounts across Europe, as well as significant volumes of previously imported apples. This autumn, the situation on Hungary’s fresh apple market will largely depend on supplies from Poland. Overall, the EU apple crop is expected to be the second-lowest in the past ten years.

The poor harvest could also leave Hungary’s processing industry operating well below capacity. Apple juice plants have processing capacity of around 350 thsd tons, while replacing the domestic supply shortfall with imports on such a scale would not be economically viable. Some apples originally intended for the fresh market could also be diverted to processing due to quality issues.

Tags: harvest, Hungary, apples