25 January 2008 – Bad weather has helped reduce China's 2007 apple crop by 10% to 25 million tonnes, which has caused prices of apple juice concentrate to more than double, according to British media reports.
As prices for orange juice have risen due to a rise in demand for the product, so has apple juice become increasingly popular in recent years, leading to a rapid development of the Chinese apple growing industry. China is now the world’s largest apple producer, harvesting as much as the rest of the world put together. Poland, another large apple grower, has also experienced bad weather, compounding the supply problems currently experienced by apple processors globally.
Prices for apple juice concentrate have trebled since 2005, a spokesperson for the China Fruit Marketing Association was quoted as saying. Prices for apple juice are therefore set to rise as processors and supermarkets attempt to absorb the increase in raw material prices.