Apple harvest in Hungary plummets to record low amid extreme weather conditions

The spring frosts, a chilly May, drought, and a summer marked by extreme temperature fluctuations have led apple growers to harvest the weakest crop yields ever recorded — according to a joint review by the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) and the Hungarian Fruit and Vegetable Interbranch Organisation (FruitVeB).

Barely 160,000 tonnes of apples

Their Tuesday statement to MTI notes that final figures are not yet available, but their estimate for the 2025 season is barely 160,000 tonnes of apples produced across the country. This amount is only half of last year’s already very low harvest.

Of the total harvested volume, approximately 60,000 to 80,000 tonnes are table apples, while 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes are industrial quality fruit. This means the table apple yield represents just 55-60% of a typical good year’s output, while industrial apples amount to only about 20-25% of an average year’s harvest.

They pointed out that the scale of the yield loss is significant in both segments, even compared to market demand: domestic consumption of table apples is around 110,000 to 120,000 tonnes, and processing industry capacity sits between 350,000 and 400,000 tonnes. Ideally, both sectors should source at least 90% from local production.

Heatwaves, drought, UV radiation and frosts

Several factors contributed to this poor harvest, the organisations stated. The nearly three-month-long extreme drought and heat stress last summer and early autumn, despite autumn rains, likely hampered the development of flower buds.

The worst damage came from frosts in early April and on 10 May. Then, in June, recurring heatwaves hit, combined with the prolonged drought since early spring and intense UV radiation. This mainly caused further quantity and quality losses on non-irrigated orchards and sandy soils.