Apple prices beat records in Hungary because of dramatic production decline

Hungarian producers will be able to harvest only around 251,000 tons of apples in 2007, or 53% as less as 2006, when apple production amounted to 537,000 tons, USDA informs. The supply reduced more than twofold (on 286,000 tons), this fact was sure to influence the prices. At the present moment apple prices are already twice as high as a year ago.
To the opinion of the analysts of "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" weekly, the upper limit of price growth for apples has not been reached yet on Hungarian market, because Hungarian producers can hardly count on Polish apples this year. That's why the further price growth is inevitable. Hungarian producers of apple concentrate are already informing about the threefold reduced production volumes.
Most part of cultivation areas in Hungarian orchards is occupied with the apples of Jonathan type - around 55% of all plantations are allocated to these varieties. They are: 32.5% of Jonathan variety and 13.5% of Idared variety. Also, 13.5% of areas are occupied with the apples of Delicious type, 6.8% of which are of Starking variety. Apples of Golden type occupy 21.1% of cultivation areas.
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