Purchase prices of apples for processing have remained high at the beginning of September this year, almost 3 times above those recorded last year.

According to Mariusz Dziwulski, an analyst at PKO BP interviewed by Sadyogrody, this strong growth is the result of the lower supply of apples compared to the previous year. GUS estimates actually point to a 30-35% drop, although this may be slightly revised upwards in the next September CSO forecasts. Not only is there a lack of raw material, but also probably lower stocks of concentrated apple juice in the country at the beginning of the 2017/18 season.

Prices of concentrated apple juice are likely to remain higher in the 2017/18 season, although further increases may be hampered by a higher supply of concentrate in China, which could weaken EU exports to the US market and lead to increased imports of Chinese concentrate into the EU-28.