A quarter of world apple production grows just in three provinces of China

Share of major production region of national apple production

More than half of China’s apples are harvested in Shandong, Henan and Shaanxi, while China accounts for more than 50 % of global apple production (USDA, FAOstat). Such clearly marked production clusters can be found in all major apple producing countries, too.

In countries with temperate climates, apple trees seem to grow everywhere. They are found in home gardens, along the roadside or in orchard meadows as picturesque landscape elements. A look at the structure of commercial apple production, however, reveals that intensive apple production usually is found in highly concentrated regional clusters.

In some countries, this is easily explained by climatic conditions, like in Chile and Argentina. These countries cover a wide range of climatic zones from sub-tropical climates in the North to cool and temperate climates in the South with a clearly distinction of the regions with ideal apple growing conditions in Maule/Chile and Rio Negro/Argentina (Figure 1).

A cool highland climate with lots of sunshine is especially favourable for apple quality with regards to colour, texture and the balance of sugars and acidity. This could explain why Italian apple production increasingly is concentrated in the Alpine region of Trentino and Alto Adige. Statistics show that the share of this region of total national apple production increased from 50 % in 2000 to more than 70 % in 2010, while overall production in Italy remained stable (Istat, 2014).

However, climate is not the only reason for forming apple clusters. Local traditions and local knowledge are important assets for apple producers. In typical apple producing regions, apples are an important part of cultural life, and even form the basis for the local tourist sector e.g. during flowering or harvest times. Positive cluster effects also include easy access to advisory services, skilled labour and specialized input and technology supply. More important than the distance or closeness to markets is the establishment of common market infrastructure, e.g. through marketing cooperatives or storage, grading and processing facilities.

While in some countries, a single region may account for more than half of national apple production, e.g. Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Italy and the USA, in other countries, more than just one major apple clusters may exist. In Germany, the ‘Altes Land’ in the North has a similar share of output, but own varieties and qualities. In Poland, nearly 50 % of apples are from Mazowiecki, while a second important cluster is found in Lubelskie with another 17 % of total harvest. In France, additional to PACA region (Provence, Alpes, Côtes d’Azur), an important share of apples comes from the Northern Pays de la Loire. In Turkey, apple production extends to a number of provinces, including Isparta, Denizli, Antalya and Karaman.

In the agri benchmark Horticulture Network, we explicitly account for the regional differences in production systems. Our typical farms represent the prevailing production systems for a specific region in a country. Currently, the network includes 11 typical apple farms from 5 countries in three continents, and is growing to include more of the major producing regions and countries.

For further information please visit our branch website