With far higher numbers than those generated last season, the Polish apple season is looking promising: “The weather has been fantastic for the apples on the trees, leading to a rise in volumes. Since I usually have 800 tonnes of Golden apples in my orchards, we may even say that there are too many apples on the trees. According to Mohamed Marawan, proprietor of Sarafruit, “volumes have increased this year, and this is true for the majority, if not all, of the kinds in my orchards. This year, I’m looking at 1600 tonnes. Therefore, output is very high, yet it’s uncertain how much will be produced overall in Poland because some farms have stopped producing apples.
According to Marawan, some farmers have given up on growing apples as a result of the bad season in 2016. “Farmers didn’t make a lot of money last season since input costs were high and prices were low. Because of this, several farmers decided to leave some of their apples on the trees rather than pick them all. Others were successful in turning a profit through exports and have kept up their orchard investments in preparation for the following season. The pricing will determine whether the farmers will benefit from the trees’ increased productivity. For instance, I don’t sell any apples on the cheaper domestic market because I exclusively utilise them for export.
Due to the fact that Ukrainian men will be participating in the conflict rather than harvesting fruits in Poland, some Polish product growers were concerned about a labour shortage this year. Marawan believes that although labour costs may increase, there should still be a sufficient number of willing workers. “I think we’ll still have adequate labour available to us for the harvest this season despite the conflict in Ukraine. Finding the staff shouldn’t be a problem, but this will imply an increase in prices because we’ll have to pay the workers a little bit more.
Since Egypt is the primary market for Sarafruit, the Central Bank’s problems with not clearing import transactions must be fixed in order for the season to be successful. Marawan explains: “I’ve heard that the Polish government is in discussions with the Egyptian commission to find a resolution to the present problems with exporting produce to Egypt. There will undoubtedly be discussions over the trade pact, but the Central Bank will be the main participant. They will have to release the funds intended for Poland’s exporters of agricultural products. This problem impacts all imports into Egypt, not just apples. Our plan now is to set up a company in Egypt, however we would need approval to import, which is not given to a newly established company. I have hope that a solution will be found, because a solution is desperately needed.”
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