Germany’s apple harvest expected to decline

German fruit growers expect the country’s 2026 apple harvest to reach approximately 934,000 tonnes, 52,900 tonnes, or 5.4%, below the average for the past 10 years (2016–2025), according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) estimates.

Destatis data showed that compared with the exceptionally strong harvest recorded last year, the decline will amount to 17.9%, Caliber.Az reports.

Apples are grown on around 32,700 hectares, with the average yield expected to reach about 28.6 tonnes per hectare this year.

The smaller harvest is attributed to several heatwaves and prolonged drought in spring and summer. Many apples have fallen prematurely, remained unusually small or developed signs of sunburn. Some fruit farms have also reported hail damage, which in some cases has nearly destroyed entire harvests.

Meanwhile, Germany’s 2026 plum harvest is expected to rise 11.5% above the average of the past decade to 499,300 tonnes. However, it will still be 3.9% lower than last year’s harvest.

With plums grown on around 4,100 hectares, the average yield is expected to reach approximately 12 tonnes per hectare.

The sweet cherry harvest is forecast at 40,300 tonnes, 20.5% above the 10-year average and 8.2% higher than last year. Sour cherry production is expected to reach around 10,800 tonnes, down 6.8% from the 10-year average but up 9.6% from 2025.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov