Excessive rainfall drives Brazil’s apple imports to highest level since 1996

Heavy rainfall over the past two years has severely affected Brazil’s apple-growing regions, reducing yields and pushing imports to a level last seen nearly three decades ago.

According to the Brazilian Association of Apple Producers (ABPM), national production in the 2024/25 season fell by more than 200,000 tons due to weather disruptions, particularly in the southern states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, which together account for almost all of Brazil’s apple output. The 2024/25 harvest reached only about 420,000 tons, down from 620,000 tons in 2020/21.

The decline has led Brazil to resume large-scale imports. Last year, the country brought in roughly 235,000 tons of apples — the highest figure since 1996, when imports totalled around 325,000 tons. In normal years, Brazil typically imports between 50,000 and 60,000 tons.

Despite the setbacks, ABPM’s executive director Moisés Lopes de Albuquerque expressed optimism that production will recover once the climate stabilises.

source: abrafrutas.org

photo: revistacultivar.com