Apple harvest in Moldova could grow by 17.5% this year, while EU production expected to decline

The Republic of Moldova could harvest approximately 526,000 tons of apples in 2026, 17.5% more than in the previous year, while production in the European Union is projected to reach the second-lowest level in the last nine years, according to forecasts presented by the Moldova Fruct Association and the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA).

According to the preliminary forecast of the Moldova Fruct Association, this year’s apple production is expected to reach around 526,000 tonnes, compared with 447,000 tons harvested in 2025, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

The association explains this development by the absence of severe spring frosts, the return to production of orchards affected in the previous year, and favorable weather conditions during the flowering and fruit-setting periods.

"At present, we estimate a good harvest both in terms of volume and quality. We expect that most of the fruit will reach or exceed a calibre of 70 millimeters," said the executive director of the Moldova Fruct Association, Iurie Fală.

Spring and June rainfall ensured sufficient water reserves in the soil, while temperature variations between day and night favored color development in red apple varieties. At the same time, hail episodes affected only some unprotected orchards locally and did not significantly influence the production estimate.

Meanwhile, at the international Prognosfruit Conference organized by WAPA, the forecast for the European Union was presented, with apple production estimated at 9.496 million tons in 2026, 15.6% less than in 2025 and 14.3% below the average of the last three years. According to the organization, this would be the second smallest harvest in the last nine years. The most significant declines are expected in Poland, where production is forecast to decrease by almost 30%, to 2.665 million tons, as a result of severe spring frosts.

Reductions are also projected in France, Germany and Italy, although the latter retains its position as the second-largest European producer. At the global level, forecasts indicate a strong recovery of production in Turkey after the losses caused by the frosts of 2025, as well as increases in Ukraine and Serbia. In contrast, harvests are expected to decline in the United States, India and the United Kingdom. China maintains its position as the world’s largest producer, with output estimated at 34.5 million tonnes.

The preliminary forecast for the Republic of Moldova was drawn up by the Moldova Fruct Association in the second half of July 2026, based on information provided by the association’s members and sector specialists. The data are to be updated after the end of the harvest campaign, in the second half of November.