Arabfields, Naïla Mokhtari, North, South and Central America Correspondent — Brazil’s apple market is entering the final days of August with prices still moving higher, although the pace of gains has begun to slow. The latest market figures show that both Gala and Fuji apples continued to appreciate during the week of August 17 to 21, as tighter availability increasingly supported values despite softer consumer demand.
For producers, the change is becoming noticeable after a difficult start to the year. Earlier in 2026, abundant supplies placed significant pressure on the market, with February recording the lowest apple prices seen in four years. By midyear, however, the balance began to shift as stocks gradually declined and growers and packers gained more room to negotiate.
During the latest week, large Fuji apples in the first category averaged R$96.33 per 18-kilogram box in the main producing and grading regions, an increase of 2.70% from the previous week. Gala apples of the same profile reached R$104.80 per box, up 1.63%.
The movement was even stronger in São Paulo’s wholesale market. Premium Fuji increased 4.46% to R$125.59 per 18-kilogram box, while Gala advanced 3.03%, reaching R$134.79.
For people working along the supply chain, the numbers reflect a market that is slowly changing character. After months in which buyers had plenty of fruit to choose from, sellers are now benefiting from a gradual reduction in available stocks. At the same time, consumers remain sensitive to prices, particularly during the third week of the month, when household budgets can be tighter and demand traditionally weakens.
That combination explains why prices are rising more slowly than they did in late July and early August. The market is not experiencing a sudden shortage, but rather a gradual tightening of supply at a time when demand has yet to regain full strength.
The outlook for the final days of August therefore points to relative stability. If demand remains subdued at the end of the month, sellers may find it difficult to push prices substantially higher in the immediate term. The current figures suggest that the market could move sideways before entering another phase of appreciation.
The more significant question concerns the remainder of the second half of the year. If stocks continue to decline at the pace observed in recent months, the balance between supply and demand should become increasingly favorable to growers and packers. In that scenario, Gala and Fuji prices could register further gains once monthly consumer demand strengthens.
The trajectory seen in 2026 supports that possibility. A market that was under heavy supply pressure at the beginning of the year has gradually moved toward tighter availability. The transition suggests that the strongest price support may come not from a sudden increase in consumption, but from the simple fact that less fruit is available for immediate sale.
For apple growers, that could offer some relief after a challenging first part of the season. For consumers, however, the same trend may mean that higher-quality Gala and Fuji apples remain relatively expensive through the coming months.
Unless supply unexpectedly increases or demand weakens more sharply, the most likely scenario is for prices to remain firm in the near term, stabilize briefly around the end of August, and resume a gradual upward trend later in the second half of the year. The pace of that increase will depend largely on how quickly stocks fall and whether consumer demand strengthens as the year progresses.
