An apple is declared the official fruit of the Polish Presidency of the EU.

The apples will be distributed to participants at events in Poland and Brussels.

Warsaw chose the strawberry as the official fruit of its first Polish Presidency in 2011. This initiative was a unique opportunity to present Polish agriculture to other countries.

By choosing Polish apples, participants will experience an authentic taste of Poland and at the same time support Polish fruit growers.

„Poland – is the largest producer of apples in Europe and the fourth largest in the world (around 4 million tonnes per year – PAP), and Polish apples are renowned for their flavour and quality, which is appreciated by consumers from all over the world“, – the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Thursday.

Warsaw exports large quantities of the fruit each year (817,000 tonnes in 2023, according to the PAP), while its importers outside the EU include Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India.

The history of apple growing in Poland dates back to the Middle Ages. However, it was the innovations introduced by Professor Szczepan Pieniazek in the post-war years that transformed Poland

Europe's leading apple-growing country. Among other things, he developed a method to ensure that fruit trees produce a bumper crop every year. Professor Sz. Pieniazek's work in post-war Poland enabled local horticulture to flourish.