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| How 'bout Them Apples? | | | | | 2006-09-26 | | Mirosław Maliszewski, president of the Association of Polish Fruit Growers, talks to Michał Jeziorski.
They say Polish apples are best in the world. Is that true?
Absolutely, and in many respects. Polish apples are exceptionally tasty and at the same time they have a high vitamin content. Due to the moderate climate in Poland, they contain many acids, which defines their taste. They are distinctively tastier than fruit from other countries, particularly from the biggest competitors-the countries with a warmer climate. Polish apples also have the advantage of being very beautiful. Cold nights and warm days result in a very nice color, making the apples attractive to the eye, and this to a large extent influences consumer choices. In addition, they are among the world's cheapest.
How many apples are produced in Poland and how many growers are there?
It is quite easy to calculate production. Depending on the year, Poland produces from 1.5 to 2.5 million tonnes of apples, plus another million tonnes of other fruit. Most of that-over 50 percent-is earmarked for the processing industry. Apples are the country's flagship product. Some 600,000-800,000 tonnes satisfy internal demand-consumption in fresh, unprocessed condition. Poland exports from 300,000 to 400,000 tonnes to Southern and Eastern European markets, mainly former communist countries, predominantly Russia. A new sales market has appeared recently-the "old" European Union countries. Annual exports to this market amount to some 40,000 tonnes.
It is difficult to determine the number of orchards. Apples are usually produced in large, several-hectare orchards where they are the basic or often only source of income. Soft fruit is often produced in orchards owned by people who work in other sectors of the economy and additionally run small plantations of berries, such as raspberries, currants, strawberries or wild cherries. As a result, it is quite difficult to estimate the exact number of orchard owners producing fruit in Poland. Some mention 250,000-300,000 orchards and the same number of owners.
Orchard growing is concentrated in several regions in Poland. More than 50 percent of the production is located in Mazovia; other major regions include Świętokrzyskie and Lublin provinces.
It can be said that apples are the Polish national fruit. They can be seen at any farmer's market or store. Do Polish apples stand a chance of conquering Europe?
Yes, indeed, and we can see room for Polish apples in Western Europe, even more so as the orchard industry in the "old" EU is declining. Among those countries, Germany is the biggest apple importer. Polish apples are also present in Great Britain and Scandinavia. We do not fear competition from such orchard production giants as France, the Netherlands or Italy. There, we can also see opportunities for selling our apples and we have already scored our first success on those markets. Poland's entry to the EU has resulted in a marked growth of interest in Polish orchard products. Due to the lifting of customs barriers, this market is open to us. If only we meet quality requirements, which are very high on this market, and if we have distribution channels, we will gradually win it.
The situation in the processing industry is different. Although Poland is a leader in terms of production for this industry, the participation of orchard growers in the processing itself is rather insignificant. In the process of privatization, the plants have been taken over by international companies and the role of orchard owners ends up at the moment of supplying raw material to the processing plants.
Is there a promotional campaign planned? Will Polish apples be a symbol of Poland's presence in the EU?
A few years ago, Prof. Witold Zatoński promoted in Poland the campaign "fruit and vegetables five times a day," but its impact was rather limited. The problem is there is no financing for an effective advertising campaign. Unfortunately, neither the Agriculture Ministry nor the orchards growers, producer groups or sellers have the funds for that. The cost of such a campaign would reach several million zlotys. There is an EU support system for fruit consumption, guaranteeing refunding of 80 percent of the cost. However, in order to use it, first you need to have the remaining 20 percent in real terms, and in addition, 100 percent in virtual terms. That is one of the reasons why the Association of Polish Fruit Growers will apply for the creation of a Fruit Promotion Fund based on the principle that operators trading fruit for both processing and direct consumption would pay certain fees to the fund; that would allow for carrying out an effective ad campaign.
You are saying that the EU is very rigorous about its standards. Do Polish apples meet these requirements and is this connected with any hidden costs?
At the moment of entering the EU, we became subject to the same standards as the whole European Community, so Polish law is only identical with European regulations in this regard. It includes quality standards in terms of shape, size and health properties. But it should be marked that the requirements of hypermarket chains or wholesalers in the "old" EU are usually higher than EU quality standards. So in order to do business with those partners, one needs to meet specific additional requirements of a given sales chain. That of course requires investment also in orchards, but we are gradually preparing for that. Of course, this cannot be done over one year, but I believe that already today we do have a large amount of fruit that can be sold on EU markets-and we're doing that. In the previous season, we sold some 40,000 tonnes of apples on EU markets. We estimate that quite soon we will be able to export 100,000 tonnes. Before Poland's EU accession, these exports were between zero and 15,000 tonnes. So growth is multifold, and there are opportunities for achieving even 10 times higher exports.
In order to sell in the EU, one has to access the distribution channels and the sales systems. Do Poles have access to these?
The fruit market in the EU is dominated by local producer organizations, that is local orchard growers. The situation varies from country to country, but it can be said that they hold over 50 percent of the EU market. So even though in theory it is a free market, they do not allow produce from other countries to enter local hypermarket chains. They have multi-year contracts; they do meet the requirements, and do not want to let cheaper production in from other countries such as Poland. That is why our producer organizations have to mark their presence on the market strongly. They have to promote and present Polish quality, and in the first place, they have to convince the consumers that Polish apples are better than products from France, the Netherlands, Belgium or Italy. Promotion is necessary; the products have to be presented at events, fairs, exhibitions and all kinds of events where fruit consumption is promoted and where consumers and salespeople attend.
Did Polish orchard owners have to expend too much on the modernization of production?
If anyone can remember the Polish orchard industry from 10 years ago and compare it with the present situation, they will see huge changes, starting from orchard types-the tree density and the related crop per hectare-through fruit varieties that are accepted on foreign markets. There has also been technological investment in the orchards-proper pesticide equipment and storage facilities, so that apples are available not only right after the harvest but also in the late spring. Much was invested in preparing the fruit for sales, that is sorting and packaging lines. All the actions are carried out dynamically in orchards, and as a result Poland will defend its market position and keep expanding sales on the "old" EU markets. | | | | | www.polskiesadownictwo.pl |
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