Low yield

Farmers hardly earn any money with their fruit

Start of this year's apple harvest: Plemenschits, Berlakovich.

(Bild: LK Bgld.)

The production costs are twice as high as the income from sales. According to Chamber of Agriculture President Berlakovich and Johann Plemenschits, President of the Fruit Growers' Association, much more fairness is needed here.

Only the best apples make it to the supermarket. But this is anything but good business for the fruit growers. If the trade demands 2.12 euros per kilo of apples, the farmer only receives 0.35 euros, according to the Chamber of Agriculture at the start of the harvest. This is a considerable loss for the farms.

Low share of prices
Because in order for fruit production to cover costs, the farmer's share would have to be 0.70 euros due to the increase in energy, crop protection, fertilizer and wages - twice as much as the farms actually receive.

"Unfortunately, agriculture has a vanishingly small share of food prices, and not just in fruit growing. More fairness is needed here," say Nikolaus Berlakovich, President of the Chamber of Agriculture, and Johann Plemenschits, President of the Fruit Growers' Association. At the same time, climate change is increasingly causing weather extremes, which also have an impact on the harvest.

Concern for farms
There is growing concern that many of the current 111 fruit-growing businesses could give up. There is at least one ray of hope: Because the apple harvest is smaller this year, farmers can hope for a higher producer price.