Drought has severely reduced apple yields at some orchards, leaving them with barely any fruit to use in cider production, according to a BBC Business report published on 25 August 2026.
Some affected orchards are harvesting only one-tenth of their usual crop. That means an orchard that normally relies on a full seasonal apple harvest is working with only a small fraction of its expected supply, directly limiting the fruit available for cider-making.
The report also points to uncertainty over the future of the orchards involved. The evidence supplied does not specify whether that uncertainty concerns the next harvest, continued cider production or the longer-term operation of the orchards, so the precise risks are not yet clear.
Important details remain unknown. The supplied report summary does not identify where the orchards are located, how many producers have been affected or whether the one-tenth yield applies across a wider growing region. It also provides no figures for financial losses, expected cider output or possible changes in retail prices.
The practical impact will therefore depend on how widespread the crop failure proves to be. What is clear from the available evidence is that some orchards face an exceptionally small apple harvest and have far less raw material than usual for cider production.