Contributed by Kenny Phang.
In collaboration with Defy Media.
Last week, Apple Day was celebrated at W Hotel for the second year. It’s an event organised in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Kuala Lumpur. During the three days of the Malaysian International Food & Beverage Trade Fair, which took place at KL Convention Centre, the stand promoting European apples from Poland was visited by several thousand people. The most important meetings focused on talks about deliveries of Polish apples to Malaysia from this year’s harvest.
Poland is one of the leading apple producers globally and the largest in Europe. In 2021, they exported over 922,000 tons of apples. The region in Poland where apples are grown is the largest orchard in Europe. Polish apples are considered unique and so tasty that they are enjoyed by consumers in many markets worldwide and in Asia. Poland is the 2nd biggest producer of apples in the world.
The combination of good soil and a mild climate make Poland an ideal country for producing apples. Polish apples are created for the most demanding clients. The variety of Polish apples currently available in Malaysia is the Gala apple, these are medium-sized apples with smooth, slightly shiny, yellow-red skin. They have a sweet-tasting, delicate and crunchy flesh.
A careful grouping process selects the apples by weight, size and colour, among other factors. Polish apples are sold in 3 classes of apples: Premium, Class I and Class II. Export of apples to Asia is mainly done by sea. The fruit is usually transported in refrigerated containers and arrives absolutely fresh at the recipient. Malaysia and Thailand are important markets for Polish fruit.