German fruit growers are anticipating a significantly above-average apple harvest in 2025, projecting approximately 1.009 million tonnes. This represents an anticipated increase of 38,300 tonnes, or 3.9 percent, compared to the average of the past ten years (970,500 tonnes), according to data released Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
The million-tonne mark is expected to be reached for the first time since 2022 (1.071 million tonnes), exceeding the comparatively lower harvest of the previous year (872,000 tonnes) by 15.7 percent. Favorable mild weather conditions during bloom and the absence of widespread frost or hail damage in most growing regions are cited as contributing factors to the positive forecast.
Apples are cultivated across 32,700 hectares nationwide and remain, by a considerable margin, the most harvested orchard fruit in Germany. The key growing regions are located in Baden-Württemberg (Lake Constance area) and Lower Saxony (Altes Land). Baden-Württemberg is projected to harvest 362,000 tonnes of apples from 11,600 hectares, while Lower Saxony anticipates a harvest of 330,000 tonnes from 8,400 hectares. Combined, these two federal states account for 61.1 percent of Germany’s apple growing area and are expected to produce more than two-thirds (68.6 percent) of the country’s domestic apple supply.
The plum and damson harvest is also expected to be slightly higher this year, with a projected yield of 44,500 tonnes, representing an increase of 700 tonnes, or 1.6 percent, compared to the ten-year average of 43,800 tonnes. The previous year’s volume stood at 43,800 tonnes.
The largest growing areas for plums and damsons are located in Baden-Württemberg (1,700 hectares) and Rhineland-Palatinate (900 hectares). However, regional differences are apparent in year-on-year comparisons. In Baden-Württemberg, the 2025 harvest estimate for plums and damsons is almost a third (-32.7 percent) lower than the 2024 yield of 25,600 tonnes, projecting 17,200 tonnes. Conversely, Rhineland-Palatinate is anticipated to see its comparatively low plum and damson harvest of 7,500 tonnes in the previous year increase by nearly half (+46.5 percent) to 11,000 tonnes.
These regional contrasts stem from the fact that fruit growers in Baden-Württemberg experienced an above-average plum and damson harvest in 2024, while other growing regions experienced partial yield losses. Germany-wide, plums and damsons are currently grown on 4,100 hectares for commercial orchard fruit production.