Vorarlberg apple harvest holds steady despite drought

Apple growers in Vorarlberg have harvested about 370 tonnes this year, roughly the same as in 2025, despite heat and dry conditions. The quality is good, the Vorarlberg Chamber of Agriculture said, according to ORF, as the harvest nears its end.

The chamber said plentiful sunshine gave the fruit particularly strong colour, with few skin blemishes and an intense flavour. Anthocyanins, the pigments that colour apples, help protect the fruit from the sun.

Hail-protection nets also provided shade, chamber representative Natalie Ströhle told ORF Vorarlberg. Growers were able to use frost-protection irrigation systems to water their orchards. In places without irrigation, however, the dry conditions caused damage and tree losses. Exposed fruit also suffered more sunburn.

For comparison, Vorarlberg growers harvested about 450 tonnes of dessert apples in 2024, a crop the chamber described at the time as above average but not a record. The chamber says growers are already preparing for next year, including by improving soil so it can retain more water.

About 30 farms grow apples on nearly 30 hectares in Vorarlberg. Seven follow the Ländle quality seal requirements and four follow organic standards. Businesses and schools can also arrange direct deliveries of local apples.

The chamber says the region’s apple growers face economic pressure. Small farms must compete with large producers in Europe and overseas, while high labour costs and strict growing rules make local production more difficult.