Fresh Market Digest: Week 38

The European Fruit Market in Week 38: A Harvest in Transition

As Week 38 begins, the European fresh fruit market is in a crucial transition phase. The summer harvests are ending, and producers are now focused on the new season's crops. This shift brings new opportunities but also significant challenges for a market that is both resilient and susceptible to external pressures.

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Fruits in Season

As domestic production transitions from summer to autumn, the focus moves to these key varieties.

Pip Fruit: The main harvest of Apples and Pears is in progress.
Grapes: Harvest is underway for most wine grapes and table grape varieties.
Specialty Fruits: Figs are still being harvested. The Pomegranate harvest is commencing for early varieties in Spain and Italy. Kiwi early harvests have just started in some regions.
Stone Fruits: Plum season is ending in many areas. Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot harvests are concluding, with late varieties still being picked. Cherry harvest is largely done.
Berries: Late Raspberries and Blackberries are still available into autumn. Strawberries are largely finished in northern Europe but still harvested in southern regions/greenhouses.
Melons & Watermelons: Late-season harvest is winding down, but still available, mainly in Spain and Italy.

Extreme Heat Stresses Fruit Harvest

This year's European fruit harvest has been mixed, with extreme summer heat affecting production across several regions.

"It's been a bit of a bad year because with the heatwaves we had in August, our figs didn't grow much," said Francisco Balas, production manager at Higos Friki, a fig farm in Extremadura, Spain.

Balas cited a 25% production shortfall this year due to the dryness. Although the heat has been a challenge, the figs are as sweet as ever.

"The quality of the figs is good, even though the sizes are small. The flavour is excellent this year," said Balas. His farm is wrapping up the season: this week, they're picking their last figs, and Balas says they probably have one more week of work.

Other fruit categories are seeing similar patterns. The European Commission's short-term outlook for EU agricultural markets projects a 4% decline in apple production for the 2024/25 season, directly linked to unfavourable weather conditions. Poland, Italy, and France remain the EU's top apple producers, and growers are waiting to see how the heat damage plays out over the course of the season. The citrus market is also facing drought, and there is concern that this year's production will fall.

Other production challenges include:

High Production Costs: While some input costs have stabilized, expenses for machinery, maintenance, and labor continue to rise, squeezing profit margins.
Labor Availability: A perennial challenge for the labor-intensive fruit sector, which relies on a skilled and available workforce for harvesting and processing.
Geopolitical Instability: Risks from geopolitical conflicts, economic uncertainty, and trade tensions threaten the stability of the EU fruit market.

Wholesale Fruit Prices

Spain

A look at Spain's wholesale market in Week 38 reveals a market in transition, with prices reflecting the end of the summer season—evident in the low cost of high-volume fruits like melons (€0.40/kg)—and the beginning of the autumn harvest. While premium berries command top prices at €16.00/kg, there are significant price variations among different varieties of the same fruit. From branded apples like Pink Lady (€2.10/kg) to specific plum varieties (€3.00/kg for Queen Claudia), prices are influenced by a combination of quality, consumer preference, and brand recognition, signaling a seasonal and highly segmented market.

Fruit	Variety	Prevailing Price (€/kg)
Plums	Anaspar	2.00
	Tolosa	2.00
	Sun Gold	2.50
	Golden	1.20
	Queen Claudia	3.00
	Purple	1.50
Raspberries		16.00
Pomegranites		2.50
Figs	Green	4.00
	Black	3.00
Kiwi	Kiwigold	4.65
	Green flesh	4.00
Lemons	Verna	1.40
	Eureka	1.80
Mandarins	Nadorcott	1.60
	Orri	2.50
	Clemenvilles	0.85
Apples	Granny Smith	1.60
	Fuji	2.10
	Golden	1.70
	Royal Gala	1.70
	Reineta	2.10
	Pink Lady	2.10
	Starking	2.30
Peaches	Red	1.50
	Yellow	1.58
	Calanda	2.25
Melons	Cantaloupe	1.30
	Galia	1.30
	Piel de Sapo	0.50
Blackberries		16.00
Oranges	Navel	1.50
	Navel Late	1.50
	Valencia Late	1.25
Nectarines	Yellow flesh	1.64
Donut peaches		1.79
Pears	White	1.85
	Conference	1.90
	Limoneras	1.50
	Ercolini	2.10
	Doyan de Comice	2.30
Watermelons	Without seeds	0.40
	With seeds	0.45
Grapes	Ideal	1.50
	Alfonso Lavalle	1.25
	Moscatel Española	2.50
	Black without seeds	2.00
	Red Glober	1.60
	Villanueva	1.00
	White without seeds	2.50
	Victoria	1.80

Italy

The Italian fruit market presents a market characterized by strict quality control and a strong emphasis on varietal distinction. Prices of €0.85-€1.00/kg for stone fruits reflect the end of their high-volume summer seasons. Quality shows importance, with specific varieties like Abate Fetel pears at a premium of €1.45-€1.60/kg, while apples like Granny Smith are notably lower at €0.50-€0.60/kg. This data shows a market that is highly responsive to quality grades and varietal preference, with significant price differences even for common fruits.

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

France

The French wholesale market data provides a snapshot of a market that values local produce and diversity. The price list reveals a significant premium for French-grown fruits, with domestic peaches at €2.08/kg commanding a higher price than their Spanish counterparts at €1.34/kg. While late-season fruits like grapes and peaches remain in the market, the data also shows the early stages of the autumn harvest, with apples and pears now widely available. Prices for these fruits vary significantly by variety, with premium French apples like Reinette grise du Canada at €2.24/kg and specific plum varieties like Reine-Claude Dorée at €4.60/kg commanding the highest values.

Fruit	Variety & Type	Average Price (€/kg)
Grapes	Chasselas Moissac south-west extra	4.56
	Italy, cat. I	2.06
	Muscat Hamburg France extra	3.80
Peaches	White flesh, Spain, cat. I, A	1.34
	White flesh, France, cat. I, A	2.08
	Yellow flesh, Spain, cat. I, A	1.34
	Yellow flesh, France, cat. I, A	2.08
Plums	Yellow Mirabelle, France, cat. I, 20-25 mm	4.30
	Green Reine-Claude de Bavay, France, cat. I, 40-45 mm	2.58
	Green Reine-Claude Dorée, France, cat. I, 40-45 mm	4.60
Pears	Guyot, France, cat. I, 65-70 mm	1.60
Apples	Gala, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.58
	Golden color 1-2, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.74
	Granny Smith, France, cat. I, 201/270g	2.00
	Reinette grise du Canada, France, cat. I 201/270g	2.24
Lemons	Spain, cat. I 4 (58-67 mm)	2.00

Greece

The Greek wholesale market data provides a clear snapshot of a sector heavily influenced by the seasonal transition from summer to autumn. The price list reveals a wide range of values, from the very low price of watermelons (€0.20-€0.28/kg), which signals the end of their high-volume season, to a significant premium for specialized fruits like figs, with prices ranging from €3.00 to €6.00/kg. The table highlights the market's strong domestic focus, featuring a variety of local grapes, pears, and apples. The presence of specific varieties like Kristalia pears and Thrace melons underscores the importance of regional quality, reflecting a market that is both resilient in its supply and responsive to varietal preference.

Fruit	Variety	Prevailing Price (€/kg)
Pears	Kristalia	1.60
	Santa Maria	1.50
Plums	Vanilla	1.50
Watermelons		0.20-0.28
Lemons		1.50-1.70
Apples	Gala	1.00-1.70
	Granny Smith	0.80-1.50
	Starking Delicious	1.00-1.40
Melons	Galia	0.60-0.80
	Thrace	0.50-0.80
Oranges	Valencia	0.80-1.00
Peaches		1.40-2.70
	White flesh	1.50-2.60
Nectarines		1.30-2.60
Pomegranates		1.00-1.80
Grapes	Muscat	1.60-2.20
	Red Globe	1.40-1.80
	Sultana	1.00-2.20
Figs		3.00-6.00

Germany

The German fruit market reflects its role as a central hub for European produce, significantly relying on imports to supplement domestic production. There is a significant price difference between fruits of the same variety from different origins; German Gala apples at €1.35/kg are more competitive than Italian Gala at €1.40-2.15/kg, a pattern that holds for pears as well. The table also shows a market in seasonal transition, with high-priced late-season fruits like nectarines and peaches still available, while new season pears and a wide variety of domestic and imported apples are now taking center stage. The high price for strawberries at €5.45-6.09/kg indicates the concluding season and restricted quantity.

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, 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

Market Outlook and Forecast

The year's final quarter outlook points to a market with continued price pressure. Due to the combined effects of heatwaves, reduced domestic production, and rising costs, prices for some European-grown fruits, particularly upcoming citrus, are anticipated to be higher. Overall, the European fruit market is entering the new season in a state of cautious optimism, supported by robust market observatories and a focus on resilience.

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