Rich apple harvest causes a rush on wine press houses

This year's glut of apples is causing a rush on Saxony's wine presses. "Last year we had a total shortfall, now the trees in gardens and orchards are full," said Andreas Mehlhorn, Chairman of the Saxony Fruit Juice Association, to the German press agency dpa. "We haven't had it like this for a long time."

Countrywide, there is currently a run on the wine press houses, says Mehlhorn. Masses of people are delivering apples from their orchards to be processed into juice. Because of the rush, there are long waiting times in many places. At his business in Langenbernsdorf (Zwickau district), customers have to wait between ten minutes and an hour for deliveries, says Mehlhorn. In the small town, there are currently regular traffic jams in front of his business.

The wine press houses process the fruit into juice. Those who deliver apples receive the juice at a reduced price. According to Mehlhorn, the association includes 38 companies in Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. There are also mobile presses that offer their services at various locations in the fall. Here, too, demand is reported to be immense. "Unfortunately, we can't satisfy all customers at the moment," writes Andreas Richter, provider of a mobile juicer in the Leipzig area, on his website.

How did this year's apple glut come about

But how did the apple glut come about? Last year, frost during blossom ruined the harvest. After the trees took a breather, the conditions this year were ideal, explains Mehlhorn. The weather was right for the blossom and there was enough rainfall for the trees to produce plenty of fruit. This not only benefited the apple trees, but also many other fruits and berries. There are also plenty of plums, pears and quinces.

However, this does not make the juice any cheaper, says Mehlhorn when asked. This is because the costs for the press houses have risen in many areas. Like other companies, he works with additional seasonal workers at the reception every year during the harvest. The rest is managed by the core workforce. The fruit must be processed promptly so that it does not rot. The workload at the wineries will also remain high in the coming weeks: the season will continue until around the end of October.