Industry association Assomela says higher input costs and price inflation could have serious impact on demand for fruit
Italian apple industry group Assomela has expressed its concern about the Middle East conflict’s potential long-term damage to both supply and demand.
According to an update issued by the association’s marketing committee, its members have expressed serious concern about the effect of rising costs for raw materials and transport, as well as the possible longer-term damage to consumer buying power from resulting higher retail prices.
As of 1 April, it reported, Italy’s apple sales were stable and in line with its seasonal plan, with stocks below average, especially for traditional varieties.
Golden Delicious inventoru was 241,352 tonnes, it said, 4.6 per cent lower compared with the four-year average and 6 per cent down on the previous season.
The country’s Red Delicious stocks, meanwhile, are apparently at their lowest in the last five years – half last year’s figure, in fact – with only 14 per cent still in storage.
Gala sales are due to end in April, it noted, thanks to above-average demand, while Granny Smith stocks were 19.4 per cent smaller compared with 2025. “Sales of club apples are also continuing positively and as planned, in line with the progressively increasing production,” it added.
Gulf in confidence
But despite that positive outlook for this season’s crop, the prolonged disruption seen in the Persian Gulf over the past few weeks has raised considerable alarm.
“Given the current sales pace and lower-than-average inventory levels for several varieties, Assomela’s previous assessment of the Middle East crisis is confirmed: at the time of the outbreak of the war, the marketing season for the countries affected by the conflict was in its final phase; while an increase in quotas destined for the domestic, Italian, and European markets was expected, which indeed occurred in March,” it stated.
“However, to gain a complete picture of the situation, it is important to emphasise the concern surrounding the collateral effects of the war and the more general geopolitical instability, which, more than a month after the outbreak of the conflict, are now quantifiable and tangible: rising costs for raw materials and transportation are threatening to compromise the profitability of agricultural businesses.
“For this reason, organisations will need to organise themselves to protect the income of fruit growers, who remain the most exposed to crises of this type.”
It added: ”Although the Italian apple sector’s organisational structure continues to demonstrate strong resilience and adapt well to logistical challenges, the risk of further prolongation of the conflict is of great concern, due to potential macroeconomic repercussions such as rising inflation and a potential slowdown in consumption, which could lead to long-term damage.
“We therefore hope for a rapid deescalation of the conflict in the Middle East, which, however, coincides with a general acceptance of responsibility by the entire supply chain to address unconventional and uncontrollable problems and situations, which must therefore be addressed as such.”
