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Cherries: Prospects are quite encouraging

May 31, 2018 at 11:50 AM , Starry Night Ltd.
Orchards are full of cherries.
Orchards are full of cherries.
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SOFIA. In orchards, yields are expected to be multifold when compared to those of last year.

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.

           Harvested land & aggregate output

                       of cherries, yearly

                      (period 2015 – 2017)

                         area units in HA

                        output units in MT

Harvested area 2015

Harvested area 2016

Harvested area 2017

Available area 2018*

8,055

8,463

7,016

8,407

                       Aggregate output

49,423

38,496

32,642

n/a

*estimates

 

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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