Construction - Experts do not expect a full apple harvest in Altes Land
Qualitatively high-quality, but less than expected: Experts do not expect a full apple harvest in the Old Land. "The fruit tastes good, the quality is good, but the yield is low," says Matthias Görgens, deputy head of the horticultural research institute Jork, which is part of the Chamber of Agriculture in Lower Saxony. Initial investigations have shown that the quality of the apples is good.
However, there will be yield losses. The warm winter months have advanced the blooming periods for apples, plums, cherries, and pears. The earliest apple bloom has already been harvested 10 to 14 days earlier. "We're still in rhythm, the early varieties like the Astramel are already being harvested now," says the expert. The red-striped table apple is only cultivated on approximately half a percent of the 9,000 hectare cultivation area.
Largest contiguous fruit farming area in Germany
The Old Land, with 550 farms and 10,000 hectares of land, according to the municipality of Jork, is the largest contiguous fruit farming area in Germany. The cold spell in April damaged many trees. In the Old Land, irrigation systems were used to protect the flowers from the frost cover. But even the warmth above also harmed the fruit. "The bees weren't warm enough, they weren't pollinated enough," adds Görgens.
On the 50-hectare cultivation area at the Luhs Apple Farm in Jork, bumblebees were used instead. "The diligent helpers are properly dressed, if it's cold," explains Senior Hein Luhs. On the farm, which converted to organic farming in 2012, there were enough frost protection irrigation. But: "If the plants don't want to grow, you can't do anything." In addition to the low temperatures in the spring, many fruit trees bear fewer fruits this season due to the strong previous year - that's normal.
Fewer cherries for sale
Due to the cold and rain during the harvest season, fewer cherries have reached the market. Some have simply burst. "We only had half a cherry harvest," says Luhs. In addition, the increased minimum wage had an impact: Many farmers focused on the essentials with fewer workers, notes Görgens. The build-up of new facilities, which have become more expensive, was also restrained by the farmers.
Technical support possibilities will be a topic at the fruit farming days in the middle of February 2025 in Jork. "We're still harvesting by hand here, but they're already further along in the USA," says Görgens.
Despite being the largest contiguous fruit farming area in Agrarian Germany, the Old Land in Lower Saxony has experienced yield losses due to climate changes. The warm winter months, in particular, advanced blooming periods for various fruits, leading to early harvests. However, this has negatively affected the quality of some fruits, such as apples, as the bees weren't warm enough to ensure sufficient pollination. This, coupled with a strong previous year, has resulted in fewer apples and cherries being available for sale in theconstruction region of Jork.
