Along with bananas and oranges, apples are among the three most consumed fruits in Brazil. Of the country's annual production of around 1 million tons, 90 per cent is consumed domestically, equal to about 900,000 tons or 4.5 kilos per inhabitant. The remainder is used for industrial processing or export.
The 2024/25 harvest closed at 850,000–900,000 tons, according to Cepea, down from 1.05 million tons in 2022/23 and about 830,000 tons in 2023/24. Successive crop failures caused by climate instability, particularly insufficient cold hours, have increased the need for imports. In 2024, Brazil imported about 200,000 tons of apples from Chile, Italy, and Argentina. At the same time, exports reached about 10,000 tons, mainly to India, as international markets sometimes offer higher returns.
According to the Brazilian Association of Apple Producers (ABPM), production is expected to recover to 1.1 million tons in 2026, which would bring output back to historical levels. Celso Zancan, director of Logistics and External Market at ABPM, said, "This year's winter was good. It's one of the best in the last six or seven years. It's a normal winter. Looking at the plants in the field, they're starting to sprout now. As for winters, we have potential. Not that we're going to have a bumper harvest, but we'll return to normal levels."
Apple production is concentrated in the southern states: Santa Catarina accounts for 50.1 per cent, Rio Grande do Sul for 46.8 per cent, and Paraná for 2.2 per cent. In Santa Catarina, São Joaquim is considered the country's apple capital, representing 35 per cent of national production and planted area. Winters in São Joaquim allow apple trees to accumulate up to 900 hours of cold annually with temperatures below 7°C.
Zancan, who is also director of Rasip Agro, reported an annual output of about 70,000 tons, with the fruit sector generating up to US$46 million annually. Producer Mariozan Correa from São Joaquim said, "The reality is that you're prepared for one or two harvests of disappointment. More than that, you're not. So, I don't believe there are people prepared enough to handle more than two harvests." He added that pesticide applications, which can cost US$540–1,440 each, average 35 per season in his orchard, with a goal of reducing to 30 applications.
Brazil produces mainly Fuji and Gala apples, which account for about 98 per cent of the national harvest. Their long post-harvest shelf life allows them to be marketed throughout the year. Apples harvested in the South are distributed nationwide, often transported over 3,600 kilometers from Caxias do Sul to Recife in refrigerated trucks.
Source: Abrafrutas