Hot summer disrupts Swiss fruit harvest as pears thrive

The hot, dry summer has reduced Switzerland’s apple harvest but boosted pear production, while forcing farmers to manage a highly compressed harvest season, Swiss broadcaster SRF reported. Consumers can expect especially flavourful fruit, according to Jürg Hess, president of the Swiss Fruit Association.

1. Apples fall while pears gain

The Swiss Fruit Association expects an apple harvest of around 96,000 tonnes this year, nearly 10% below the five-year average. Pear production, by contrast, is expected to reach 16,000 tonnes, 20% more than last year.

Pear yields were below average last year because the trees produced significantly less fruit. The trees then recovered and were able to set a full crop this year, helped by good soil moisture in spring.

2. Smaller fruit with more flavour

Prolonged heat and a lack of water slowed the development of many fruits, which are tending to be smaller. However, the intense sunshine significantly increased sugar formation, giving the fruit a particularly high fructose content.

This is reflected in the Brix value, which measures the sugar content of fruit. The higher the value, the sweeter the fruit tastes.

3. Apples also suffer sunburn

The summer heat caused visible damage. Many fruits on the outer branches suffered sunburn or became glassy under the intense sunlight.

Many trees, particularly high-stem trees, also dropped their fruit prematurely in August. Hess said this is a natural protective mechanism that helps the plant survive water shortages.

4. A formula sets the harvest date

To keep fruit crisp through the winter or into the following summer, farmers must harvest it at precisely the right time. They determine the optimum date using three measurements: the apple’s starch content, the firmness of its flesh and its sugar level.

5. Heat compresses the harvest season

Extreme weather, including prolonged heat, causes different fruit varieties to ripen much faster and almost simultaneously. The natural gaps between harvest periods shrink, leaving farmers with exceptionally large quantities of fruit to pick at once.

The fruit must be harvested at exactly the right time. Otherwise, it becomes overripe and can no longer reach shops while still crisp.

6. Old varieties face growing risks

Many established traditional fruit varieties are not suited to extremely high temperatures and prolonged drought. Plant research and breeding are therefore increasingly focusing on tolerance to heat and water shortages.

The traditional apple variety Cox Orange, for example, could be affected because it does not tolerate very high temperatures. In the long term, climate-resistant varieties are likely to challenge such varieties in commercial cultivation.