Hungary's 'apple belt' fights for survival as climate shifts

In Hungary's apple heartland, climate change is turning the seasons against farmers. Once a major source of Europe's fruit, orchards are shrinking. Families and communities are left wondering how long a centuries-old tradition can survive.

Szabolcs County, in northeastern Hungary, was once the country's apple belt. But at the Bori family orchard, rows of trees that once carried tons of fruit now stand nearly bare.

"In April, we had minus 5.6 degrees," said farmer Vilmos Bori. "Then again in May, minus 6 to 7 for two nights. The blossoms were destroyed. That is why we don't have a crop this year."

The family farm once produced more than a thousand tons a year. This season, for the first time in over two decades, there will be no harvest.

"There is no income from the orchard. We get some state aid, but it is not enough," Bori said. "Spring frosts are becoming more and more frequent. Every year it gets harder."

Blossoms froze in spring. Summer heat scorched what little remained. Rains never came. In Szabolcs County, more than 70 percent of orchards were hit by frost this year.

Across northeastern Hungary, trees are aging and orchards are shrinking. In the past 30 years, the amount of land used for apple production has decreased by nearly half. At the Bori family orchard, they say another season like this could put them out of business.

For families like theirs, apples are more than fruit. They are work, culture, and community.

"We are trying to plant varieties that can better withstand climate change," Bori said. "But I've been doing this for 25 years. I can't just switch to something else. This is what we know, what we grew up with."

Some farmers are investing in frost protection systems. One wind machine costs more than $80,000, and orchards need several. For many, the price is out of reach.

"Thirty years ago, you could grow apples without irrigation or frost nets," said Ferenc Apáti, president of FruitVeB. "Now only orchards with all three – irrigation, frost and hail protection – can survive. And that costs three times as much."

Hungary once produced over a million tons of apples a year. Today output has dropped to less than half.

"The climate is changing fast," Apáti said. "The question now isn't if we'll have a spring frost, but how often and how severe. Storms and hail have also become stronger. 

"In the past, hail might have caused some surface damage. Today, it can wipe out an entire orchard—or even ruin crops for two years. On top of that, droughts are hitting harder and lasting longer. Every season feels more extreme than the last."

For many farmers, survival is uncertain.

"If we get the same frost again next year, it won't be worth it," Bori said. "Many farmers are already in trouble. They have loans to pay and no reserves left. Some are just trying to borrow more money to make it through another season."

Some government aid exists. Farmers say it is not enough. They are calling for stronger support to cope with the risks of a changing climate.

In Hungary's apple belt, each season now feels like it could be the last.