In W25 in the cherry landscape, Italian cherry production is very low, both in terms of quantity and quality due to the anomalous bad weather, which ruined the southern areas. Meanwhile, low demand is leading to a drop in cherry prices, despite current prices standing at higher levels than in 2022. Also, Spanish cherry products are still present in the Italian market. Agreste forecasts cherry production in France to reach around 36.9 thousand mt, down 5% YoY but 21% higher than the five-year average. The decline in production can be attributed to adverse weather conditions in May-2023. In particular, adverse weather impacted the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes basin, with a 12% decrease, coupled with damage from the Drosophila Suzukii fruit fly which also affected the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur basin, with a 2% decrease, while Occitanie remained stable. Furthermore, Agreste reports a significant reduction in cherry orchards in Occitanie by 4% YoY and 7% compared to the 5-year average and with Auvergne Rhône-Alpes decreasing by 3% YoY. The orchards in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region decreased by 1% YoY. Nationally, the area under cherry orchards shrunk by 2% YoY. In terms of prices, Agreste reports a 10% YoY increase and up 16% compared to the 5-year average, attributed to a market supply shortage.
In Moldova, cherry blossoms were abundant, despite unfavorable low temperatures in the period, resulting in suboptimal pollination, uneven development, and inconsistent fruit ripening. Additionally, certain regions experienced significant damage to the cherry crop caused by hail. Despite these challenges, cherry harvesting has commenced. Initially, the projected export price for fresh cherries was set at USD 1.48-1.64/kg. However, the industry is experiencing difficulties in acquiring raw materials for freezing and other processing methods due to insufficient market supply and high prices. Freezers are currently limited to offering a price range of USD 0.54-0.65/kg for cherries.
On June 18th, severe thunderstorms accompanied by hail struck Poland, including cherry orchards, leading to substantial losses. In some cases, cherry orchards experienced damage as high as 70%. The region from Radom to Przytyk was particularly affected by a thunderstorm belt with heavy hail. Cherry producers indicate that the hail was dense, large, and intense, lasting for approximately 10 minutes. Hailstones were about the size of a thumb and had sharp edges. The producers are expected to use appropriate chemicals to support the damaged fruit, but treatments will only be applied in the evenings due to high daytime temperatures. This was the first hailstorm of 2023 in the area and had disastrous consequences for the cherry producers.
The Ukrainian Club of Agrarian Business (UKAB) expects the prices for apricots and cherries in Ukraine to decrease by 15-20% by the end of June and the beginning of July. Currently, approximately 70% of the products available on the market are imported. In May-2023, Ukraine imported a total volume of 2.5 thousand mt of cherries, apricots, and peaches, up compared to 50mt in Apr-2023. Although imports increased in June-2023, they were cheaper than in May-2023. In July-2023, domestic producers will enter the market with berries and fruits, as the harvest was delayed in 2023 due to frost.
Lastly, in 2023, cherry production in Amasya in Turkey, known for its apples in Anatolia, registered a significant increase, surpassing the 2022 harvest of 38 thousand mt. The 2023 cherry harvest is expected to reach approximately 52 thousand mt, elevating Amasya to the 3rd position in cherry production in Turkey. Governor Masatlı highlighted the region's favorable conditions for cherry cultivation and mentioned obtaining a geographical indication for the domestic cherry variety called "0900," which is now promoted as the "Amasya Cherry." Efforts have been made to enhance competitiveness, including the distribution of 62 thousand cherry saplings over the past two years. Amasya has become a cherry-purchasing hub for international food companies. Notably, 60% of the produced cherries are exported to various countries, including Iraq, Syria, Russia, and the EU. The President of the Amasya Chamber of Agriculture, Mustafa Cebeci, expects the productive cherry harvest to continue for another month. The price range for cherries varies between USD 0.38-2.30/kg, with quality fruit fetching higher prices.
