Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Largest Czech apricot grower to reduce acreage
The Czech Republic's largest apricot grower, the company Patria Kobylí, is replacing thousands of fruit trees with arable land. The Director and representative of the firm, Vavřince Charváta, confirmed some forty hectares of orchards, especially apricots, have already undergone this process.
"We have found that many old fruit trees have stopped being economically profitable. This applies mostly to apricots planted around the eighties," he stated.
From the more than 200 hectares of orchards the company had, only 160 are now left, with apricots still in a leading position. "The other 40 hectares will be left for four or five years as arable land, then we will see what the pricing policies are, and if they are favourable, we will replant them," explained Mr Charváta.
He affirms that the market situation for the growers has been difficult for many years. "It is also a fact that the Czech Republic is flooded with fruit from Poland and other countries, so there is great competition."
The chairman of the District Chamber of Agriculture, Anton Osička, stated that "besides the age of the trees, sales of the fruit in our country are not significant. Orchards are therefore gradually decreasing their acreage in eastern Moravia."
He affirms that, without subsidies, it will be difficult to continue. "The Minister of Agriculture announced it would promote the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, but we do not have anything concrete in hand."