“At the end of February 2022, the stocks of apples were 21% higher than last year. Sales are slowing down on the French market. Exports to third countries are slowing down, and to the European Union. As for the stocks of pears, they are 50% lower than last year, but close to the five-year average,” according to Agreste. 

Apples: stocks are higher than last year
At the end of February 2022, the apple stocks were 21% higher than last year. Although the 2021 harvest was reduced because of the frost in the spring, the stocks did not sell as fast as they did in previous years and the lower export activity also explains this increase. Differences are observed depending on the region and varieties. For example, in the regions most affected by the frost (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur), stocks are much lower than last year, while they have increased everywhere else.

This decline continued in February: 7% less than last year (compared to -20% in January). This has been the trend since December. It reflects a decline in the demand, which has been lower than last year since the beginning of the marketing campaign. In this context, prices have been down since February, but they are still higher than the five-year average. 

From August to January, the volumes exported to the European Union have decreased considerably (32% less than last year and 40% less than the five-year average). The sharpest drops are observed in Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Fewer volumes are exported to third countries (-6% compared to last year), with more volumes exported in the middle of the campaign.

Pears: stocks are 50% lower than last year
At the end of February 2022, the stocks of pears were much lower than last year (-51%), and slightly lower than the five-year average (-9%). This low level of stocks is the consequence of the decline in production due to the frost in the spring of 2021. On November 1st, half a harvest was estimated. 

The marketing campaign of the French pear ended in January and February 2022. The market is fluid with the last stocks of Comice pears. Prices are clearly higher than in previous years, as they have been since the start of the campaign, marked by a deficit in supply and an active demand.

During the first 7 months of the campaign (July to January 2022), the volume of pears exported has decreased by 22% in one year and 33% compared to the five-year average, especially to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Exports to third countries have also decreased.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com