Brazilian apple growers in many of the country's southern production regions are optimistic about the quality of the upcoming Gala harvest following much-needed rains.

According to the February edition of Revista Hortifruti Brasil, rainfall that came at the start of this year will likely mean a larger fruit sizing and increased orchard productivity.

The temperatures in many areas were said also to have been higher than normal during the day and lower at night, contributing to good fruit coloring.

However, the first few days of February saw some cases of hail in the south of the country, where Vacaria and Bom Jesus - in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina respectively - were reported to be the most affected cities.

The Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies (CPTEC) reported that between January and March, rainfall levels in Santa Catarina should be within historic averages, while in Rio Grande do Sul there is a chance rainfall could be 35% higher than normal.

Revista Hortifruti Brasil reported the harvest for the early varieties Eva and Condesa came to an end in January in Brazil's main southern production regions.

Despite the good quality, the demand for Eva was lower than the previous season due to heavy volumes of Fuji from the 2013/14 campaign that were still in the market.

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