Cherries: Prospects are quite encouraging
May 31, 2018 at 11:50 AM ,
Starry Night Ltd.
BULGARIA. Last year, natural forces devastated orchards throughout the country, throwing yields tumbling down while farmers felt compelled to increase prices – only those, of course, who managed to collect any of the fruits! However, during the current season, weather conditions have favored local farmers, which in turn will exert downward pressure on prices. The cultivation of cherries ranks among the first five orchard crops grown in the country.
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Harvested land & aggregate output of cherries, yearly (period 2015 – 2017) area units in HA output units in MT |
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Harvested area 2015 |
Harvested area 2016 |
Harvested area 2017 |
Available area 2018* |
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8,055 |
8,463 |
7,016 |
8,407 |
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Aggregate output |
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49,423 |
38,496 |
32,642 |
n/a |
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*estimates |
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Source: Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture
Cherries: An abundant harvest forecasted
Although some orchards within the Northeast were damaged during the cold weather in March, according to local farmers of substantial acreages of orchards, nationwide prospects look quite good. The recent hailstorms, which fell in specific areas and damaged any crop they hit, including some orchard trees, were not considered a nationwide threat to the fruit. Isolated cases always take place, and since hailstorms have been confined locally, the great majority of orchards throughout the country are full of cherries.
The harvesting campaign already started and in places, farmers expect yields to be manifold those of the previous year, which for a substantial number of orchard owners was a disaster. In regions within the Southwest, farmers expect yields from 5 mt/ha to 10 mt/ha. As a result, prices are expected to be low.
Ongoing harvest updates
Harvesting campaigns throughout the country have been recently unfolding, as by the 25th of May 2018, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers collected from 397 ha, out of 8,407 ha available for harvest this year, an initially estimated output of 1,161 mt. With the passage of each week, the scale of harvesting is increasing.
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