Fresh Market Digest: Week 37, 2025

Week 37 continues the transition in European fresh fruit markets from late summer varieties into the early autumn harvest season.

Fruits in Season

Late Summer / Concluding Season

• Peaches – Sweet, fragrant, and reaching the end of their season.
• Donut Peaches – Low-acid, summer-favorite variety.
• Nectarines – Smooth-skinned and juicy, wrapping up summer availability.
• Apricots – Tender, tangy-sweet, and mostly finished, with only late varieties still around.
• Melons – Sweet and refreshing, still available through September.
• Watermelons – Juicy and hydrating, still harvested in southern regions.
• Berries – Extended late summer season: Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, elderberries

Peak Season

• Figs – Ideal for fresh eating, preserves, and gourmet recipes.
• Apples – Perfect for fresh consumption, baking, and cooking.
• Pears – Juicy and versatile for snacks and desserts.
• Plums – Ripe for eating fresh or for jams and baking.
• Table Grapes – Harvest-ready, perfect for snacking and culinary uses.

Beginning Autumn / Early Season

• Pomegranates – Early arrivals starting to hit markets.
• Persimmons / Kakis – Sweet fruits ready for autumn menus.
• Kiwis – Beginning of autumn availability for this nutrient-rich fruit.

Production Challenges

• Weather Impacts: Spring frost affected Eastern Europe and Germany; drought is stressing Spanish citrus; hailstorms damaged Spanish stone fruits
• Rising Costs: Energy, labor, and plant protection products remain high. Minimum wage increases in Germany and higher storage/processing costs add pressure.
• Supply Chain Issues: Reduced starting stocks and international competition (notably from North Africa) are creating price volatility. Transportation inefficiencies continue to affect distribution.
• Climate & Adaptation: Warmer temperatures are shifting harvests earlier. Traditional growing patterns are disrupted, requiring new strategies. Water management is increasingly critical in Mediterranean regions.

Wholesale Prices

Spain

Fruit	Variety	Most Frequent Price (€/kg)
Plums	Anaspar	2.00
	Tolosa	2.00
	Sun Gold	2.50
	Golden	1.42
	Queen Claudia	3.22
	Purple	1.57
Raspberries		16.00
Strawberries		5.00
Pomagranite		2.31
Figs	Green	4.50
	Black	3.50
Kiwi	Kiwigold	4.58
	Green flesh	3.90
Apples	Granny Smith	1.64
	Fuji	2.19
	Golden	1.74
	Royal Gala	1.66
	Reineta	2.14
	Starking	2.30
Peaches	Red	1.20
	Yellow	1.65
	Calanda	2.30
Melons	Cantaloupe	1.20
	Galia	1.10
	Piel de Sapo	0.57
Blackberries		16.00
Nectarines	Yellow flesh	1.57
Donut peaches		1.52
Pears	White	1.81
	Conference	1.94
	Limoneras	1.37
	Ercolini	2.06
	Doyan de Comice	2.30
Watermelons	Without seeds	0.44
	With seeds	0.45
Grapes	Ideal	1.88
	Alfonso Lavalle	1.25
	Moscatel Española	2.62
	Black without seeds	2.19
	Red Glober	1.68
	Villanueva	1.15
	White without seeds	2.65
	Victoria	2.03

This week's Spanish fruit market reflects a market in seasonal transition, with premium berries commanding the highest values, demonstrating strong consumer demand. 

Stone fruits show variety-driven differentiation, with premium cultivars like Calanda peaches and Queen Claudia plums achieving 90-125% price premiums over standard varieties. 

Apples display mature pricing structures across cultivars, while melons and watermelons reflect their commoditized status with consistently low prices.

Grape pricing reveals a clear consumer preference for convenience, with seedless varieties commanding 50-130% premiums over seeded alternatives.

Italy

Fruit	Variety	Price Range (€/kg)
Nectarines	Alexia 17.5+	0.85-0.95
Peaches	Corindon and similar 17.5+	0.90-1.00
Plums	Angeleno 40+	0.85-0.95
Pears	Kaiser 65+	1.05-1.25
	Abate Fetel 60+	1.45-1.60
	Decana del Comizio 70+	1.40-1.50
Apples	Golden Ruggine 70+	0.60-0.70
	Golden Delicious 70+	0.55-0.65
	Granny Smith 70+	0.50-0.60

This week’s Italian fruit market shows:

Stone fruits all priced within a narrow competitive range below €1/kg, indicating strong supply and ongoing harvest momentum.

Pears stand out as the premium category, with Abate Fetel, Decana del Comizio, and Kaiser varieties commanding higher prices, highlighting consumer willingness to pay for established domestic specialties.

Apple pricing remains subdued across standard varieties, suggesting abundant supply or tempered early-season demand; Golden, Granny Smith, and Golden Ruggine types all trade well below €0.70/kg.

Greece

Fruit	Variety	Price Range (€/kg)
Pears	Crystal	1.00-2.20
	Santa Maria	1.00-1.90
Plums	Vanilla	1.00-3.00
Watermelons		0.20-0.30
Apples	Gala	1.00-1.70
	Granny Smith	0.80-1.50
	Starking Delicious	0.80-1.50
Melons	Galia	0.50-0.90
	Thrace	0.50-0.80
Peaches		1.30-2.70
	White flesh	1.30-2.60
Nectarines		1.30-2.70
Grapes	Muscat	1.40-1.80
	Red Globe	1.70-2.20
	Sultanina	1.00-2.00
Figs		3.00-6.00

 This week’s Greek fruit market shows:

Stone fruits increase in cost as their season concludes, reflecting reduced availability and peak consumer quality expectations.

Watermelon pricing is low due to the commodity nature of the high volume as the season winds down.

Fig pricing remains at premium levels due to their delicate handling requirements and short harvest period.

Apple varieties show stable market positioning, indicating established supply chains and consistent consumer demand patterns.

Grape pricing reveals clear varietal differentiation strategies, with premium cultivars commanding substantial premiums over standard varieties.

France

Fruit	Variety	Average Price (€/kg)
Strawberries	Standard, Belgium, Cat. I	7.80
Grapes	Chasselas AOP Moissac south-west	5.12
	Italy, Cat. I	2.90
	Muscat Hamburg, France	4.00
Peaches	White flesh, Spain, Cat. I A	1.72
	White flesh, France, Cat. I A	2.76
	Yellow flesh, Spain, Cat. I A	1.72
	Yellow flesh, France, Cat. I A	2.84
Plums	Yellow Mirabelle, France, Cat. I, 20-25 mm	3.30
	Green Reine-Claude de Bavay, France, Cat. I, 40-45 mm	2.90
	Green Reine-Claude Dorée, France, Cat. I, 40-45 mm	4.00
Apples	Gala, France, Cat. I, 201/270g	1.84
	Golden color 1-2, France, Cat. I, 201/270g	1.84
	Reinette gris du Canada, France, Cat. I, 201/270g	2.30

This week’s French fruit market shows:

Stone fruits at a domestic premium, with French peaches commanding 60-65% higher prices than Spanish equivalents, reflecting both perceived quality advantages and shorter supply chains. The plums show varietal differentiation, with premium Reine-Claude Dorée achieving the highest prices among stone fruits, while the more common Mirabelle varieties maintain mid-tier positioning.

Grape pricing is segmented, with Chasselas AOP Moissac commanding nearly double the price of Italian imports.

Apple pricing remains relatively stable across main varieties, though heritage varieties like Reinette gris du Canada achieve modest premiums over standard Gala and Golden types. Strawberries remain premium despite the advanced season, reflecting specialized production systems and consistent quality standards.

Germany

Fruit	Variety	Price Range (€/kg)
Apples	Boskoop, Germany	1.15-1.62
	Elstar, Germany	1.41-1.45
	Gala, Germany	1.35
	Gala, Italy	1.40-2.15
	Golden Delicious, Italy	1.07-1.88
	Granny Smith, Italy	1.50-1.85
	Jonagold, Germany	1.19-1.47
Pears	Abate Fetel, Italy & Spain	2.60-3.60
	Carmen, Italy	2.27-2.71
	Clapps Liebling, Germany	1.51
	Conference, Belgium Germany & the Netherlands	1.25-1.98
	Santa Maria	2.37-3.20
Grapes	Crimson Seedless, Italy	2.73
	Festival, Italy	2.79
	Red Globe, Italy	2.66
	Victoria, Italy	2.31
Strawberries	Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Poland	5.45-6.09
Apricots	France	3.86
Nectarines	Yellow flesh, France, Italy & Spain	2.38-4.27
	White flesh, France, Italy & Spain	2.68-3.97
Peaches	Yellow flesh, France, Greece, Italy & Spain	2.33-4.29
	White flesh, France, Italy & Spain	2.30-3.97
Donut peaches	Spain	2.65
Plums	France, Italy & Spain	2.54-2.99
Prune plums	All types, Germany	1.15-1.36

This week’s German fruit market demonstrates strong domestic preference.

Apples from Germany maintain competitive positioning against imports, with most varieties showing price stability while Italian varieties exhibit wider price volatility.

Pears show significant premium positioning for specialty varieties, with Abate Fetel and Santa Maria commanding substantial premiums over standard Conference pears, reflecting consumer willingness to pay.

Stone fruit pricing shows considerable variation, particularly for nectarines and peaches, where French origins achieve the highest premiums, while Spanish donut peaches maintain consistent mid-tier positioning.

Grapes from Italy cluster tightly, indicating standardized quality expectations and mature supply relationships.

Market Outlook

• Stone fruits will rely on imports, causing seasonal price adjustments.
• Supply tightness supports favorable pricing for quality fruit.
• Consumer demand remains strong for premium, locally-sourced fruit.
• Citrus season preparations are underway.

Conclusion

Despite production and market pressures, Week 37 shows a stable transition from summer to autumn fruit varieties, particularly apples and pears, preparing the market for the extended storage and winter season.