Late frosts that hit parts of the Czech Republic in April are being blamed for a significant decline in this year’s fruit crop.

The country’s Fruit Growers’ Union predicts losses of approximately €14.7 million (US$16.2 million), with the overall fruit harvest expected to be 17% lower than the average over the past three years.

Southern Moravia was one of the worst hit areas where temperatures dropped to -5°C (23°F) for several nights earlier in the growing season.

Damage to stonefruit and apple trees has also been reported from the Bohemia region.

The most severely affected crop is apricots, with an estimated year-on-year decline of 68% resulting in approximately 709 metric tons (MT) of fruit produced this season.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic’s peach crop is also substantially lower this season, with predictions of just 421MT, 67% down on previous years, according to statistics from the growers' union.

With regards to the country’s largest fruit commodity, apple production dropped by 27% with 113,000MT cultivated overall, while plum, currants and sour cherry harvests are also expected to result in a slump.

Meanwhile, strawberry harvests are expected to drop by 30% to around 2,300MT.

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