The apple harvest this year is of 530,000 tonnes, as opposed to 595,000 tonnes in 2019. Productivity declined by 0.12 tonnes per hectare even if the fruit-bearing area grew by 1,200 hectares. Specialists of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment said the apple harvest is smaller owing to this year’s severe drought and to the hail that affected parts of the country.
Contacted by IPN for details, Vasile Șarban, head of the Ministry’s Production and Processing Policy Division, said that the apple harvest was lower earlier. In 2010, there were gathered 207,000 tonnes of apples, but the area of orchards was then smaller. The harvest was also modest in 2007 when there was a drought – 218,190 tonnes. The smallest harvest during the last decades was in 2006 – 202,800 tonnes. Global productivity was then only 3.14 tonnes per hectare. Those orchards were inherited from the Soviet period.
This year’s harvest can satisfy internal demand and sufficient quantities remain for export.
The quince harvest this year is of 2,800 tonnes. The average harvest per hectare decreased by 5%, but the quantity is the same as last year given that the fruit-bearing area was by 6% larger. The national producers do not show interest in growing quinces. The market for this product is not so developed and the quinces are used more in processing and in domestic households. Quince exports are insignificant. The fruit is seriously affected by the fire blight and this is a problem for farmers.
