Positive Harvest Interim Report from Local Vegetable and Fruit Farmers

The Chamber of Agriculture and the Austrian Fruit and Vegetable Industry Association rate the harvest as good and high quality. Extensive frost protection measures in some fruit regions and intensive irrigation of vegetables in the hot and dry June were necessary for this.

Harvest Interim Balance: Hot June Replaced by Rainy July

The weather in June led to more pests, such as aphids, and the rain caused an increase in diseases like Phytophthora. "Plant protection remains a central concern for vegetable farmers, alongside high ancillary wage costs and the resulting lack of competitiveness," said LKÖ President Josef Moosbrugger and ÖBOG Chairman Manfred Kohlfürst. They jointly advocated "for improvements at the national and European level."

According to farmer representatives, the weather for vegetable cultivation was "predominantly favorable." The very hot and dry June was then replaced by a rainy start to July. The heat affected vegetable growth, but with irrigation, farmers claim they can still harvest "good vegetable quality." Regionally, there have been "major damages" to vegetable farmers in Austria this year due to hail.

According to the Chamber of Agriculture, fruit cultivation in "large parts of Austria" was spared from frost damage this year. There were only "some regional exceptions," especially in stone fruit cultivation, where "cost-intensive frost protection measures" were necessary. Locally, there were "severe hail damages" despite the use of hail nets. Overall, fruit farmers rate this season as "good." For pome fruits, farmers currently expect a "good average harvest." The berry fruit season is "overall pleasing."

Very Many Inedible Cherries Due to Spotted Wing Drosophila

In stone fruit cultivation, the cherry harvest has already been completed and is otherwise in full swing. According to farmer representatives, there are damages in some crops due to harmful insects, including stink bugs and spotted wing drosophila. "Even though only the best produce reaches consumers, the spotted wing drosophila, which migrated to Austria in 2011, causes farmers to have to discard very many inedible cherries beforehand," said Chamber of Agriculture Austria President Moosbrugger.

The interest representatives are pushing for more leeway in pest and weed control agents. "An adequate toolkit for plant protection thus remains the number one political priority in fruit cultivation," said the Chamber of Agriculture chief. "In many crops, we are already reaching the limits of what is feasible," said Industry Association Chief Kohlfürst. Certain diseases and pests can "hardly be effectively combated with the available means."

(APA/Red)

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