Apple prices surge 31 per cent last year as growers blame bad weather

Apple prices have soared by over 30 per cent compared to last year, new analysis show.

The prices of the fruit have increased by 31 per cent with Aldi's bramleys going up by 20 per cent just last month.

Out of 108 apple lines in stock between the start of October 2023 and now, 31 had surged in price by more than 10 per cent, according to analysis by the The Grocers magazine.

The rising input costs as well as issues with the weather have been blamed for the rising prices.

According to the analysis, Aldi's Nature Pick Loose Bramley apples saw the biggest increases per year, going up by 20.4 per cent. This led to an overall year-on-year rise of 31.1 per cent. The fruit now cost 59p compared to 45p last year.

Aldi's Nature's Pick Pink Lady Apples increased in price by 30.2%, the price of which having gone up by 8.4% this month alone.

When contacted, an Aldi spokesperson said: 'We are proud to be one of the largest buyers of British apples, buying British whenever possible, and we're committed to offering our customers the best value apples of any supermarket'.

Many lines had increased by more than 20 per cent in the last year, this included Waitrose Pink Lady  (29.2 per cent) and a number Asda lines such as Crisp and Juicy Apples, up by 25 per cent.

According to data from British Apples & Pears, sales of British apples fell last year from 148,041 tonnes to 123,802 tonnes.

According to the grower group, this was down to a lower supply as a resut of weather issues reducing crop.

This comes as it was announced that Tesco sold the most UK apples in the 2023-2024 season, only just ahead of Aldi - with Aldi topping the chart last year.

'This year's crop is looking good and we're hopeful that all UK supermarkets will work even harder this year to promote British apples and pears,' said BAP executive chair Ali Capper. 'Buying British over imported fruit saves on food miles, and we know consumers want British if at all possible.'

All retailers were approached for comment.