Orchards Hit by Billions in Frost Damage
The FruitVeB Hungarian Fruit and Vegetable Interbranch Organization and Product Council have conducted an assessment of the April frost damage in orchards through an online questionnaire and telephone survey. The findings reveal that 80 percent of the Hungarian fruit-growing area was impacted by the April frosts, as reported by World Economy.
During the period between April 7 and 10, heavy frosts occurred, causing significant damage to the domestic fruit sector. While it is challenging to provide an exact estimate of the crop loss, it is evident that the fruit sector, valued at 120 billion forints (293 million euros), suffered tens of billions of forints in frost damage.
The online questionnaire by FruitVeB gathered data from 546 businesses, covering 13,379 hectares, representing 19 percent of the total 70,771 hectares of fruit plantations in Hungary. Coupled with the telephone survey, access was obtained to approximately 20-25 thousand hectares, equivalent to 30-35 percent of the total planted area, and nearly half of the 50 thousand hectares of fruit production area currently in production.
Apricots and peaches were among the most severely affected, with flower and small fruit damage ranging from 80 to 100 percent. Apricots, having already flowered by April 7-8, experienced total small fruit damage in 60 percent of the plantations, leading to no expected crop yield.
Peaches also suffered significant flower damage, with 46 percent of plantations seeing total flower damage and 23 percent experiencing 80-99 percent flower death. The situation was similar for cherries, with two-thirds of plantations facing flower damage above 80 percent.
Apples, despite being one to two weeks away from flowering during the frost, still incurred substantial damage. Thirty percent of orchards reported total damage, 46 percent had damage rates between 80 and 99 percent, and only 7 percent had damage levels below 40 percent, indicating that the crop is still viable.
Plums and sour cherries, which were either flowering or about to flower during the frosts, exhibited variable damage rates by variety and region. Nevertheless, the overall outlook is more positive compared to other fruit species, with hope for a good or acceptable harvest in approximately half of the plantations.
The frost damage distribution was prominent in certain regions, such as the northern and northeastern parts of Hungary, the Danube-Tisza Area, the southern Alföld, Tolna County, and parts of Somogy County. Damage was less severe in regions like Kisalföld, the southern and southwest Transdanubian region, and near Lake Balaton.
The survey results shed light on the detrimental impact of the April frosts on Hungary’s fruit sector, emphasizing the need for strategic planning and support to mitigate the financial losses incurred by fruit growers.
Overall, the assessment conducted by FruitVeB provides valuable insights into the extent of frost damage in orchards across Hungary, highlighting the challenges faced by the fruit sector in the aftermath of the April frosts.
