This is a relatively small volume of apple processing in the off-season, i.e. in the winter-spring period. In the past five years in Moldova, as noted by apple concentrate producers, there were years when in January-April about 10-15 thousand tons of apples came for industrial processing from refrigerated warehouses of horticultural and trading enterprises.
Industry operators explain modest supplies of apples to concentrate factories by two main reasons. The first one is relatively small stocks of apples and their relatively small exports in the mentioned period (respectively – small volumes of fruit rejection in the process of formation of export batches, which are sent for processing).
The second reason is the relatively low “demand prices” for industrial apple in the off-season-2026: on average 2.5 lei/kg, “at the gate of factories”.
What is the forecast for the end of the season?
We can assume that the price is unlikely to increase significantly in May. The management of one of the two companies producing apple concentrate, which took apples during the off-season, informed farmers about the plans to stop the factory in May for a “technical pause” – cleaning the equipment and preparing the production lines for the new season. Accordingly, in the best case scenario, the May supply of industrial apple will find demand only at one enterprise.
In June – the month of completion of the marketing season – the supply of last year’s apples “from refrigerators” will probably increase. It is not excluded that the purchase price for industrial apples will also increase – processors will be inclined to make partner gestures to suppliers of raw materials in anticipation of the new season.
