Poland remains one of the European Union’s leading producers of berries and apples, while domestic growers continue to expand their exports successfully. Maintaining competitiveness at home and abroad will, however, increasingly depend on investment in production automation, cost reduction and measures protecting orchards and plantations from increasingly frequent extreme weather events.
“Millions of tonnes of fruit produced by Polish growers reach both consumers in Poland and foreign markets. We rank among the leading producers of apples and soft fruit. As with food and agri-food products generally, 75% of our products are sold on the European market, with the remainder going to non-EU countries,” Stefan Krajewski, Poland’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, told the Newseria news agency.
According to Statistics Poland, production from fruit bushes and berry plantations reached 489,700 tonnes in 2025, an increase of 1.7% compared with the previous year.
The raspberry harvest rose to 79,100 tonnes, up 2.9%, while blackcurrant and redcurrant production increased by 12% to 112,300 tonnes. Highbush blueberry output grew by 4.3% to 64,700 tonnes.
Strawberry production, however, declined by 5% to 150,600 tonnes. Lower harvests were also recorded for chokeberries, down 5.3%, and gooseberries, down 9.6%.
Poland is the European Union’s largest producer of raspberries, currants and sour cherries, as well as its second-largest producer of strawberries. The country’s total fruit harvest reached 4.72 million tonnes, including 3.82 million tonnes of apples.
Poland’s Agri-Food Exports Reach a New Record
Poland has been steadily increasing its food exports. According to data from the National Support Centre for Agriculture, the value of Polish agri-food exports reached a record €58.4 billion in 2025, representing an increase of 8.6% compared with the previous year.
Agri-food products now account for approximately 16% of Poland’s total exports.
“We have been building our position for years. That is why our companies, processing plants and producers participate in trade fairs and business missions designed to open new foreign markets. It is also a major challenge for our public services, which must negotiate and agree on the conditions under which Polish products can be exported,” Krajewski said.
One example was the Summer Fancy Food Show, held in New York at the end of June. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the United States is one of the most important destinations for Polish food exports outside the European Union.
In June, ministry representatives and entrepreneurs from the grain and milling sectors also travelled on a trade mission to Egypt. Discussions focused on access to the Egyptian market, including opportunities for additional Polish agri-food products.
Last year, Polish exports in this category to Egypt were valued at €104 million. Apples, pears and fresh quinces were the main products exported, accounting for approximately 40% of the total value.
Quality Is to Remain Poland’s Main Competitive Advantage
Speaking at a conference at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mirosław Maliszewski, chairman of the Polish Fruit Growers’ Association, stressed that quality should remain the main competitive advantage of Polish producers, both domestically and internationally.
A 2025 survey by the Public Opinion Research Centre found that quality was the most important consideration when purchasing food for 55% of Polish consumers. Polish origin was the key factor for 21%, while price was the most important consideration for 17%.
At the same time, 79% of respondents said they tried to buy food produced in Poland whenever possible.
In the case of fresh fruit and vegetables, consumers can easily verify where products come from, as current regulations require retailers to state the country of origin.
“We use the ‘Polish Product’ information programme. Producers willingly place the label on their products because it distinguishes them from others. There are also regulations requiring the country of origin of fruit to be displayed, allowing consumers to see which products come from Poland and which come from other countries or continents,” the agriculture minister said.
Campaign Promotes Food Quality and Informed Consumer Choices
The educational campaign “To Twój Pewniak”, meaning “Your Trusted Choice”, aims to increase public awareness of food quality and safety while encouraging informed purchasing decisions.
One of its elements is the promotion of fruit described as containing “zero pesticide residues”. This refers to products in which laboratory tests have found no detectable residues of plant protection products.
At the launch of the campaign, the minister encouraged consumers to make conscious choices and support Polish fruit and food products. He stressed that consumer support is particularly important given the growing challenges facing agricultural producers.
“The biggest challenges concern prices and reducing production costs. Many processes are being automated because of labour shortages. I speak, for example, with strawberry growers who complain that they cannot find enough people willing to harvest the fruit,” Krajewski said.
“Some fruit can be harvested mechanically, and the latest technologies can be used, but this naturally requires further investment.”
Automation Is Becoming Essential as Labour Shortages Deepen
Labour availability has become one of the most significant problems facing fruit growers. Harvesting soft fruit is particularly labour-intensive, while producers increasingly struggle to recruit seasonal workers.
Automation and mechanical harvesting could help address these shortages, but introducing modern machinery requires substantial capital expenditure. Not all fruit varieties can currently be harvested mechanically without affecting quality, meaning that further technological development is also necessary.
Investment in automation is therefore expected to become increasingly important for growers seeking to control costs and remain competitive against producers from other countries.
Growers Must Protect Crops Against Extreme Weather
Maintaining the competitiveness of Polish fruit producers will require not only lower production costs but also investment in systems protecting crops from the consequences of climate change.
Spring frosts, hailstorms and heatwaves are causing increasingly severe losses in orchards and berry plantations. As a result, protective systems are becoming more important throughout the sector.
“Significant funding is being allocated to protecting permanent plantations against extreme weather,” the minister said.
“On the one hand, this includes protection against spring frosts through investment in wind machines and tree-spraying systems. On the other hand, growers are installing special nets to protect plantations against hail.”
Such investments can reduce the risk of losing an entire harvest but involve considerable expense. For many farms, access to financial support and investment programmes will therefore determine whether they can adapt successfully to changing climatic conditions.
Poland’s position as one of Europe’s leading fruit producers remains strong. However, its future competitiveness will depend increasingly on whether growers can combine high product quality with modern production technologies, efficient cost management and effective protection against extreme weather.
