A report by Poland's BGZ Bank shows the country's apple exports in the European Union grew by 155% in the last four years to reach 210,000 metric tons (MT), website Fruchthandel.de reported.

Poland registered a record apple export volume of 1.2 million metric tons (MT) last season, with 60% of the fruit going to the Russian market, the story reported. In the last 10 years, the eastern neighbor's purchases of Polish apples have risen by 70%.

While the volumes were small, Poland's apple exports to Spain and Croatia rose from insignificant levels in 2011-12 to 8,000MT and 7,700MT respectively in 2012-13.

Outside Europe, the country has also marked its first exports of the popular pome fruit to Algeria and Egypt at levels of 3,200MT and 1,400MT respectively.

Poland's growers and the Ministry of Economy have also agreed to undertake several marketing programs around the world, set to begin in 2015 with a focus on the markets of Russia, Germany, China, France, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.

Polish media agency Puls Biznesu reports that PLN25 million (US$8 million) in funding will go toward promoting European apples in China and Egypt, with PLN20 million (US$6.4 million) of that figure coming from the European Union.

Polish Fruit Growers Association president Miroslaw Maliszewski told magazine PB that the Chinese market, which was currently receiving scarce amounts of the country's apples, could grow to receive 100,000-200,000 metric tons (MT) of the fruit annually.

The goal in Egypt is to raise shipments from 500MT last year to "several thousand tons", Maliszewski told the publication.

www.freshfruitportal.com