Fresh Market Digest: Week 45

Peak period for autumn and early-winter fruit in Europe

European markets are well-stocked with autumn favourites, from apples and pears to late-season grapes, while early arrivals of new-season citrus add fresh momentum to November trading. Despite weather-related challenges in several growing regions, overall availability remains strong as the market settles into its winter rhythm.

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Fruits in season

Growers are currently harvesting:

Pip fruit (apples, pears, quince): The main harvest is ending, late varieties are being picked, and fruit is being moved into cold storage for a year-round supply.
Citrus (oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits): The early season is commencing.
Kiwis: The season is in full swing.
Persimmons: Peak harvest and optimal ripeness.
Avocados: In harvest.
Pomegranates: The harvest is wrapping up.
Table grapes: Late-season varieties are being picked.
Pumpkins & squash: The main harvest is coming to a close.
Bananas: Available year-round in the Canary Islands.

Citrus season update: Lower yields but excellent quality

Montesa, Spain — The Mediterranean citrus harvest is progressing steadily, though yields are expected to be lower than in previous years. According to Eladio of Naranjas de Montesa, the 2024/25 season is marked by slightly reduced production but outstanding fruit calibre.

“We're not seeing the production levels of previous years,” Eladio notes, "but there's still a good amount.”

Harvest timing and market conditions

Eladio reports that the mandarin harvest began last week, with farmgate prices slightly higher year-on-year.

“The price at origin has gone up a bit,” he explains. “Buyers are going everywhere looking for mandarins — at least in our area.”

The farm expects to begin harvesting oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus varieties later in the season.

Weather impacts on yields and quality

Unusually heavy spring rains across the Mediterranean significantly affected citrus flowering.

“We normally get 600–650 litres of rain a year, and nearly 300 fell just in spring — right when the trees were in bloom,” Eladio recalls.

The rainfall disrupted flowering and reduced fruit set, resulting in lower yields. However, the fruit that remains is of above-average quality.

"The size is between 50 and 65 millimetres, which is quite good," Eladio notes. "The flavour is very sweet — really good quality so far."

Looking ahead: import pressures on the horizon

As winter approaches, citrus imports from non-EU countries may put pressure on local markets.

“When December comes, we'll see what imports arrive,” Eladio says. "There were already reports last week that oranges from other regions were starting to enter."

Despite these concerns, overall sentiment remains cautiously optimistic thanks to solid fruit quality and firm prices.

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

Wholesale fruit prices by country

Spain

In the Spanish wholesale market, core winter citrus offers the lowest consumer value. The abundant harvest of Navelina oranges (€0.86/kg) and high-volume mandarin varieties, such as Satsumas and Clemenules (as low as €0.80–€1.20/kg), confirms they are in peak domestic supply, keeping their prices at the lowest tier alongside pumpkins (€0.60–€0.75/kg). In contrast, speciality and high-value items command significantly higher prices, suggesting they are either lower volume crops. For example, Kiwigold kiwi, at €5.00/kg, represents the highest price point, indicating it is a high-value, niche variety, while Hass avocados (€2.92/kg) and seedless grapes (€2.25–€2.50/kg) occupy the mid-to-high range, reflecting their premium stance and complex logistics like refrigerated storage.

Fruit	Variety	Prevailing price (€/kg)
Avocados	Hass	2.92
Persimmons		2,08
	Rojo brillante	1,66
Pomegranates		2.00
Kiwi	Kiwigold	5.00
	Green flesh	3.50
Limes		2.22
Lemons	Primafiori	1.60
Mandarins	Clemenules	1.20
	Marisol	1.20
	Oronules	1.80
	Satsumas	0.80
Apples	Golden	1.70
	Fuji	1.90
	Granny Smith, Royal Gala, Starking	1.60
	Reineta	1.75
Quince		1.40
Oranges	Navelina	0.86
Pears	Conference	2.00
	Blanquillas	1.90
	Ercolini	2.50
	Doyan de Comice	2.30
Bananas		0.95
Grapefruit	Red	1.50
Grapes	Black without seeds	2.25
	Red Globe, Victoria	1.50
	White without seeds	2.50
	Victoria	1.50
Pumpkins	O.V.	0.75
	Violin	0.60

Italy

In the Italian wholesale market, table grapes (€0.56/kg), persimmons (€0.65–€0.75/kg), and Fuji apples (€0.67–€0.77/kg) are widely grown and stored efficiently, leading to market saturation and the lowest prices on the list. Similarly, pumpkins (€0.70–€0.95/kg) are highly cost-effective due to high regional yield. Pears (€1.39/kg) and Hayward kiwi (€1.40–€1.50/kg) maintain mid-range pricing, reflecting high production and storage costs. Avocado commands the highest price at €3.60/kg, confirming its status as a specialised, high-value commodity.

Fruit	Variety & size	Average price (€/kg)
Apples	Fuji 70+	0.67-0.77
Persimmons	Cal. 22+	0.65-0.75
Kiwi	Hayward gr. 65+	1.40-1.50
Pumpkins	Delica	0.85-0.95
	Violina	0.70-0.80
Avocado		3.60
Pears		1.39
Table grapes		0.56

France

In the French wholesale market, autumn crops, such as apples, which are widely cultivated and stored efficiently, maintain the lowest and most stable prices, clustered between €1.66/kg and €1.74/kg. Similarly, standard pears (Williams, Conference) are affordable, ranging from €2.04/kg to €2.30/kg. A price premium is observed with Muscat Hamburg Grapes, which benefit from high-value regional cultivation standards, at €3.80/kg. Clementines from Corsica are priced at a premium of €3.74/kg, more than 60% more than the largely produced Spanish Oronules (€2.04–€2.24/kg).

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

Fruit	Variety & other specifications	Average price (€/kg)
Grapes	Italy, cat. I	1.66
	Muscat Hamburg, France	3.80
Pears	Conference, France, cat. I, 70-75 mm	2.30
	Doyenne du comice, France, cat. I, 80-85 mm	2.78
	Williams, green, France, cat. I, 70-75 mm	2.04
Apples	Gala, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.66
	Golden, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.68
	Granny Smith, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.74
	Reinette grise du Canada, France, cat. I, 201/270g	2.08
Lemons	Spain, cat. I 4, 58-67 mm	2.20
Clementines	Corse, cat. I 3	3.74
	Oronules, Spain, cat. I 1	2.24
	Oronules, Spain, cat. I 2	2.04

Greece

In the Greek wholesale market, oranges (Sampson/Navel, €0.75/kg; Valencia, €0.90/kg) and clementines (€1.00/kg) are the lowest-priced items, indicating high domestic yield and efficient supply. Similarly, autumn crops like pomegranates (€1.20/kg) and quince (€1.30/kg) are priced affordably as they are readily available. High-volume, storable fruits, such as apples (around €1.30/kg) and kiwis (€1.60/kg), maintain competitive, mid-range pricing. In contrast, avocados command the highest price at €3.00/kg, underscoring their status as a specialised, lower-volume crop (often from Crete). The pricing of bananas (€1.00/kg) remains consistently low, reflecting their status as a mass-market, year-round staple.

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

Fruit	Variety	Prevailing price (€/kg)
Avocados		3.00
Kiwis		1.60
Pears	Krystalia	1.60
	Santa Maria	1.50
Quince		1.30
Lemons		1.00
Mandarins	Clementines	1.00
Apples	Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Starking Delicious	1.30
	Fuji	1.50
Bananas		1.00
Oranges	Valencia	0.90
	Sampson / Navel	0.75
Pomegranates		1.20
Grapes	Crimson	1.40
	Sultana	2.00
	Strawberry	1.50

Germany

In the German wholesale market, apples and pears occupy the lowest price range, with most varieties clustered just above the €1.10/kg mark. This stability contrasts with grapes and kiwis, which command significantly higher prices. All seedless Italian Grapes exceed €3.27/kg, reflecting their high value and the cost of transport and specialised handling. The steepest price differentiation is seen in kiwis: the Italian variety (€3.07–€3.50/kg) consistently fetches a 20–30% premium over the Greek variety (€2.20–€3.00/kg), highlighting differences in market perception and established commercial relationships. Meanwhile, citrus prices show complexity, with low-end Spanish Navel oranges (€1.27–€1.53/kg) offering better value than the more expensive Italian oranges (€2.00–€2.47/kg), indicating that size and quality differences.

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

Fruit	Variety & other specifications	Price range (€/kg)
Apples	Elstar, Germany, loose & 75-80 mm	1.12-1.14
	Jonagold, Germany, loose & 70-85 mm	1.15-1.60
	Golden Delicious, Germany, loose & 75-85 mm	1.26-1.65
	Gala, Germany, loose & 75-80 mm	1.18
Pears	Conference, Belgium, Germany & the Netherlands, loose	1.24-1.42
	Alexander Lucas, Germany, loose & 65-70 mm	1.23-1.40
	Williams Christ, Germany, loose	1.34
Grapes	Crimson seedless, Italy	3.27
	Blue, seedless, Italy	3.29
	Light, seedless, Italy	3.48
Kiwis	Greece, 25-39 mm	2.20-3.00
	Italy, 25-39 mm	3.07-3.50
	Gold, Italy, 25-33 mm	3.45-3.55
Oranges	Navel, Spain, 3/4-5/6	1.27-1.53
	Italy, 1x-3/4	2.00-2.47
	Spain, 1xx-1/2	1.15-2.65
Satsumas	Italy, 1xx-1/2	1.85-2.13
	Spain, 1xx-1x	1.65-1.73
Lemons	Spain, 1xx-3/4	1.46-1.93
Bananas		1.23-1.53

Market outlook

Looking ahead, several factors are expected to influence market dynamics across Europe in the coming months:

Market demand: Steady EU demand driven by health and wellness trends. Rising interest in premium, exotic and organic fruits. Consumers remain price-sensitive due to ongoing inflation.
Supply trends: Lower volumes in apples, citrus and grapes create tighter markets. Import dependence is increasing for winter fruit and off-season supply.
Pricing trends: Upward price pressure expected through winter 2025/26. Premium varieties (berries, seedless grapes, exotics) are likely to stay expensive.

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