Moldova’s apple production is expected to reach approximately 526,000 tons this year, with around 325,000 tons potentially destined for processing. The country’s fruit and vegetable canning industry says it is prepared to take in the entire volume offered by farmers, logos-pres.md reports.
Ștefan Golubciuc, president of the Speranța Con Association of Fruit and Vegetable Canners, said processing capacity will depend not only on the nominal capacity of factories but also on how evenly raw materials are delivered throughout the season.
Moldovan processing plants can currently handle around 5,000–6,000 tons of apples per day. If deliveries remain steady for approximately 100 days, the industry’s theoretical processing capacity could reach around 500,000 tons.
At the beginning of September, production lines at canning factories were operating at approximately 50–60% capacity, slightly below the level recorded during the same period last year. One possible explanation is that the mass harvesting of autumn apple varieties started somewhat later this year.
In August, industrial apples were purchased directly from orchards for 2.3–2.5 lei per kilogram, while prices at factory gates reached 2.60–2.75 lei per kilogram, including VAT. These prices are slightly higher than at the beginning of the previous season.
At the same time, Moldovan farmers are facing rising costs for pesticides, fertilizers, labor, transportation, sorting and storage. This has increased expectations that purchase prices will rise for both fresh-market and industrial apples.
The regional market is also characterized by large production volumes. Ukraine’s apple harvest is expected to be 15% higher than last year, while Turkey’s production could increase by around 104%. Part of these volumes is expected to go toward processing.
In the European Union, a ton of apple concentrate currently costs around €1,300–€1,400, compared with €1,100–€1,200 in Turkey and China. The price of European concentrate is approximately 30% lower than in August 2025.
At the end of August, industrial apples were selling for around €0.06 per kilogram in China, €0.07–€0.09 in Turkey and €0.12–€0.13 in Poland.
Demand for high-acidity apples remains strong, particularly due to frost damage in Poland. However, this price advantage could diminish as the processing of autumn varieties increases.
With a substantial harvest expected and processors preparing for high volumes, the pace of deliveries, production costs and developments on regional markets are likely to play a key role in determining apple prices during the season.