Fresh Market Digest: Week 2, 2026

Mediterranean citrus peaks as stored orchard fruits carry Europe through winter

As Europe settles into the heart of winter, the fresh fruit market is entering 2026 with a striking contradiction. Supermarket shelves remain full of vibrant Mediterranean citrus, yet behind the scenes, the industry is contending with climate-driven supply shocks, rising costs, and tightening environmental regulations.

From the citrus groves of Valencia to the logistics hubs of the Port of Dunkirk, here is the state of the EU fresh fruit market at the start of the year.

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What’s in season?

Mediterranean citrus at peak quality

January marks the height of the citrus season across Southern Europe, with fruit reaching optimal flavour and vitamin C levels:

Oranges: Navel and Valencia varieties dominate the market, while blood oranges enter their short but highly anticipated season.
Clementines and mandarins: At their sweetest and most abundant.
Lemons: Strong availability of Amalfi and Spanish Verna lemons.
Grapefruit: Peak season for Mediterranean pink and white varieties.

Stored orchard fruits from Central and Northern Europe

Harvested in late autumn and kept in controlled cold storage, these fruits remain a winter staple:

Apples: Gala, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Jonagold continue to perform well.
Pears: Conference, Rocha, and Comice pears are widely available and at peak eating quality.

Winter specials and exotics

Kiwi: Harvested in Italy, France, and Greece in late autumn; now fully ripe and abundant.
Persimmons: The season is tapering off, but firm varieties are still on the market.
Pomegranates: Availability continues from Mediterranean origins, though volumes are past their peak.

Want to stay ahead of the market? Explore real-time global fruit prices on the Wikifarmer Marketplace.

Market dynamics shaping early 2026

Spain’s citrus shortfall: Spain’s 2025/26 citrus production has fallen to 5.44 million tonnes (-11% year-on-year), the smallest harvest in 16 years, following spring rains, summer heatwaves, and hail damage. Prices are at record highs.
Italy and Greece fill the gap: Italian and Greek citrus producers are seeing stronger demand, helping fill the gap, although overall EU supply remains tighter than usual.
France tightens import rules: France has cracked down on imports of food containing residues of pesticides banned in the EU, including mancozeb and glufosinate, enhancing border controls.
Rising input costs: EU fruit farmers are facing labour increases, climate adaptation investments (anti-hail netting, precision irrigation), and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) affecting imports like fertilisers. These are expected to squeeze farm profitability throughout 2026.
Innovation trends accelerate: The 2026 Fruit Logistica Innovation Award highlights market shifts toward functional produce, allergy-friendly apples, and fresh-cut convenience, including new pre-cut tropical fruit ventures in Europe.

Wholesale fruit prices by country

Spain

In the Spanish wholesale market, citrus prices, such as Navelina oranges (€1.42/kg) and Clemenules mandarins (€1.43/kg), are remarkably high for this time of year due to the historically small harvest. Avocados (Hass at €4.50/kg) and kiwis (Gold at €5.00/kg) command the highest premiums as they reach peak winter demand. Meanwhile, persimmons and pomegranates remain relatively affordable (€2.00–€2.25/kg) as they enter the final weeks of their season, with supplies remaining steady from storage. The apple and pear segments show price stability but high varietal variance; while standard Golden apples sit at €1.60/kg, specialty green Doncella apples fetch a premium €3.00/kg.

Fruit	Variety	Prevailing price (€/kg)
Avocados	Hass	4.50
Persimmons	Rojo brillante	2.00
Pomegranates		2.25
Kiwi	Kiwigold	5.00
	Green flesh	3.77
Lemons	Primafiori	1.54
Mandarins	Clemenules	1.43
	Clemenvilles	1.71
	Hernandina	1.80
Apples	Golden	1.60
	Fuji, Granny Smith	1.75
	Royal Gala	1.70
	Reineta	1.85
	Pink Lady	2.00
	Starking	1.50
	Green Doncella	3.00
Oranges	Navel	1.10
	Navel Late	1.20
	Navelina	1.42
Pears	Ercolini	1.60
	Blanquillas	2.00
	Conference	1.80
	Doyan de Comice	1.90
	Passa Crassana	1.65
Grapefruit	Red	1.20
	Yellow	1.40

Italy

In the Italian wholesale market, the apple sector is strong, with prices for staples like Gala (€0.87/kg) and Golden Delicious (€0.83/kg) remaining highly competitive due to a robust national harvest. This surplus even pushed varieties like Cripps Pink (€1.32/kg) and Annurca (€1.23/kg) into accessible price brackets for the winter. In contrast, the pear market is experiencing a climate-induced struggle, as a production drop caused by spring frosts and summer pests has pushed the Abate Fetel to a premium of €1.94/kg. Meanwhile, the kiwi segment is defined by a widening varietal gap, where the popular Gold variety commands a massive premium at €2.80/kg—nearly double the price of the traditional Green Hayward (€1.87/kg).

Fruit	Variety & size	Average price (€/kg)
Kiwi	Gold (yellow flesh)	2.80
	Hayward	1.87
Apples	Annurca	1.23
	Cripps Pink	1.32
	Fuji	0.92
	Gala	0.87
	Golden Delicious, Granny Smith	0.83
	Morgenduft (Emperor)	0.66
	Renetta (Canada)	1.23
	Stark Delicious	0.74
Pears	Abate Fetel	1.94
	Conference	1.29
	Doyan de Comice	1.57
	Kaiser	1.63

France

In the French wholesale market, staples like Gala (€1.80/kg) and Golden Delicious (€1.60/kg) are moderately priced but firm. Despite a slightly smaller domestic apple harvest, specialised heritage varieties like the Reinette grise du Canada command a solid €2.00/kg, bolstered by strong local demand for traditional winter flavours. The pear market remains significantly tighter, with the large, high-quality Doyenne du Comice reaching €2.70/kg; this premium is primarily driven by the high energy costs of specialised cold storage required to maintain fruit integrity into the new year. Meanwhile, imported Spanish citrus continues to serve as a vital but increasingly expensive gap-filler, with Navelina oranges (€1.17/kg) and Nules clementines (€1.60–€1.80/kg) finding a steady market as French consumers prioritise reliable, high-calibre produce during the winter.

For real-time price updates, visit Price Insights – Rungis International Market.

Fruit	Variety & other specifications	Average price (€/kg)
Pears	Conference, France, cat. I, 70-75 mm	2.30
	Doyenne du comice, France, cat. I, 80-85 mm	2.70
Apples	Gala, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.80
	Golden, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.60
	Granny Smith, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.85
	Reinette grise du Canada, France, cat. I, 201/270g	2.00
Lemons	Spain, cat. I 4, 58-67 mm	1.80
Clementines	Nules, Spain, cat. I 1	1.80
	Nules, Spain, cat. I 2	1.60
Oranges	Spain, Navelina, cat. I 3, 81-92 mm	1.17

Greece

In the Greek wholesale market, Navel oranges (€0.60/kg) and Clementines (€0.90/kg) are currently priced at nearly half the rate of Spanish imports, reflecting a robust harvest in the Peloponnese and Epirus that has yet to face the same inflationary pressures seen in other regions. This affordability extends to the kiwi market, where Greece's dominant Hayward variety is priced competitively at €2.00/kg, undercutting Italian green kiwis and offering a budget-friendly alternative. The pip fruit market also shows significant value, with Starking Delicious and Granny Smith apples (€1.20/kg) and the popular Krystallia pears (€1.70/kg) maintaining steady price points despite the rising energy costs associated with winter storage. Speciality items like avocados (€2.90/kg) and Fuji apples (€1.50/kg) command higher prices.

For real-time price insights, visit Price Insights – Athens Central Market

Fruit	Variety	Prevailing price (€/kg)
Avocados		2.90
Kiwis		2.00
Pears	Krystallia	1.70
Lemons		1.00
Mandarins	Common	1.00
	Clementines	0.90
Apples	Golden Delicious	1.30
	Granny Smith, Starking Delicious	1.20
	Fuji	1.50
Oranges	Navel	0.60
Pomegranates		1.80

Germany

In the German wholesale market, apples remain the bedrock, with staples like Elstar (€1.09–€1.15/kg) and Gala (€1.13/kg) offering consistent value, while premium imported varieties like Pink Lady (€2.40–€2.75/kg) target the high-end consumer. The pear segment highlights a massive price gap between regional varieties, such as Alexander Lucas (€1.24/kg), and the specialised Italian Abate Fetel, which reaches a season-high €3.74/kg due to its scarcity and protected status. In the citrus aisle, Spanish Navel oranges (€1.01–€1.44/kg) currently undercut Italian and Greek alternatives, though Italian Tarocco blood oranges (€3.14–€3.25/kg) command a significant premium as they enter their brief peak season. The kiwi market further illustrates this regional competition, as budget-conscious wholesalers pivot toward Greek kiwis (€2.14–€2.68/kg) to bypass the higher costs of French and Italian stock.

For real-time price updates, visit Price Insights – Germany Market

Fruit	Variety & other specifications	Price range (€/kg)
Apples	Elstar, Germany, loose & 75-80 mm	1.09-1.15
	Gala, Germany, loose	1.13
	Golden Delicious, Germany & Italy, loose & 75-80 mm	1.15-1.55
	Granny Smith, France & Italy, loose & 70-85 mm	1.46-2.06
	Jonagold, Germany, loose & 70-85 mm	1.10-1.70
	Pink Lady, France & Italy, 70-85 mm	2.40-2.75
	Red Delicious, Italy, loose & 65-85 mm	1.27-1.81
Pears	Abate Fetel, Italy, 65-85 mm	3.01-3.74
	Alexander Lucas, Germany & Netherlands, loose	1.24-1.37
	Conference, Belgium, Germany & Netherlands, loose	1.15-1.46
	Santa Maria, Italy, 65-80 mm	2.56-2.87
	Williams Christ, Italy, 70-80 mm	2.34-2.46
Kiwis	France, 25-33 mm	3.90-4.63
	Greece, 25-39 mm	2.14-2.68
	Italy, 25-39 mm	2.81-3.85
	Gold, Italy, 25-33 mm	3.57-5.46
Oranges	Cara Cara, Italy & Spain	2.19-2.67
	Moro, Italy, 3/4-7/8	2.33-3.25
	Navel, Greece, 1/2-5/6	1.37-1.65
	Navel, Italy, 1/2-7/8	1.78-2.10
	Navel, Spain, 1/2-7/8	1.01-1.44
	Salustiana, Spain, 3/4	1.41
	Blood orange, Spain, 1/2-3/4	3.21-3.43
	Tarocco, Italy, 1/2-3/4	3.14-3.25
	Valencia Late, Greece, 5/6	1.15
Clementines	Italy, 1x-3/4	1.62-1.99
	Spain, 1xx-3/4	1.63-2.06
Mandarines	Italy, 1xx-1x	2.40-3.00
Lemons	Spain, 3/4-5/6	1.58-1.82

Market outlook

Citrus prices to remain firm: Prices are likely to remain elevated through late winter. Any price relief will depend on how quickly alternative origins can scale up volumes without compromising quality.
Stable outlook for stored orchard fruits: Apples and pears are expected to remain broadly stable, though price gaps between standard and premium varieties are likely to widen.
Costs remain the key pressure point: Labour, climate adaptation investments, and CBAM-related input costs will continue to squeeze margins, limiting growers’ pricing flexibility.
Selective but resilient demand: Consumers remain price-sensitive but active, supporting demand for competitively priced origins and fresh-cut convenience formats.
Quality differentiation intensifies: As supply tightens, quality will play a larger role in price formation, favouring well-stored fruit and premium citrus.

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