Stefano Lugli - SL Fruit Service
Cherry Times technical-scientific committee
The areas invested in cherry orchards in Italy continue to decrease and the national production of Italy's most beloved fruit fell dramatically in 2013. Will Romagna cherries save us or will we have to get used to eating Turkish and Uzbek cherries? Probably yes.
Thanks to the investments made by Apofruit in the Cesena and Forlì area and those of Agrintesa in the Faenza area, according to the latest CIA report, Romagna has almost doubled its cherry tree surfaces in just 10 years, in contrast to national trends and those of its rich and noble cousins from Vignola.
Unfortunately, cherry growing in Romagna, like so many others, has had to suffer the devastating effects of climate change this year: frost, rain and floods that have effectively wiped out local cherry production. Read the CIA report here.
And if the people of Romagna are crying today, while looking with some optimism at their future, the people of Emilia are certainly not laughing and see any prospect of growth in the cherry sector as smoke in their eyes.
There are few rays of sunshine and many clouds on the horizon: suffice it to say that Vignola's famous cherries hit an all-time low in 2023 after 150 years, with just 3,000 tonnes of cherries harvested. And instead of investing in new plantings, cherry trees continue to be cut down in Vignola. Just as in Apulia, Italy's leading region in cherry production.
We are drifting. And it is not just the fault of climate change.
21 Jul 2023
Born and bred in Italy on the slopes of the Modenese Apennines (Vignola, Italy) Sweet Aryana has found one of her earthly paradises on the other side of the Andes. With 2000 hectares invested and 2 million plants in the nursery Sweet Aryana is generating strong interest in Chile.
02 Oct 2026
In New Zealand, real-time monitoring with IoT sensors helps cherry growers track temperature and humidity during transport, prevent spoilage, reduce food waste and preserve quality and freshness from the orchard to the market throughout the entire cold-chain journey.
02 Oct 2026
In Coquimbo, Chile, the cherry harvest could begin between October 10 and 15, one of the earliest dates ever recorded in the region. Production is expected to fall by 50%, while larger fruit, higher sugar levels and access to new markets could support growers this season.
02 Oct 2026
In New Zealand, real-time monitoring with IoT sensors helps cherry growers track temperature and humidity during transport, prevent spoilage, reduce food waste and preserve quality and freshness from the orchard to the market throughout the entire cold-chain journey.
