The Hungarian industry of cherries, whose season started at least ten days earlier than last year thanks to the milder spring climate, is experiencing strong market demand and reasonable prices across the rest of Europe.
"The season is going well; we are at the beginning of the late harvest and still have seven to ten days until the end of the cherry harvest here in Hungary," says Peter Kelemen of the Medifruct cooperative in Hungary.
He states that the market situation has not been negative for them, as there has been strong demand from neighboring European countries. "Our target markets, Hungary, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, have requested the fruit. Also, the prices were reasonable."
The past years have been difficult for the Hungarian cherry industry, which exports its fruits, due to damage caused by frost in the main growing regions. This year, thanks to the warmer spring, there have been fewer frost days and therefore less damage. Naturally, the harvest has been more abundant.
Kelemen says that this year Hungary has a much more abundant cherry harvest compared to last year. It is estimated to be around 12,000 tons.
"The harvest has been much more abundant compared to previous years, considering the same period after spring. We have seen better volumes because frost damage was lower. The only thing that has caused many problems in the last three or four days has been the rain. In the last three days, up to 100 mm of rain has fallen. It's too much, even though the plants were covered."
Kelemen describes himself as a "cherry enthusiast" who also enjoys testing different varieties of cherries from other countries. He describes the Carmen variety developed in Hungary as "our pride and our concern." It is probably the most well-known variety grown in Hungary. A beauty created by Brozik and Apostol.
It has very large fruits with delicate skin and a soft texture. It is still profitable, but only for the domestic market and for short-term export. Great care must be taken during harvesting; this is very important."
The expert advises fruit growers in Europe and worldwide to consider all aspects of cherry varieties. "To achieve high performance in an orchard in the climate of Eastern or Central Europe, but probably anywhere else in the world, all details must come together: site selection, training system, planting density, nursery health, tree vigor, water quality, pruning, and feeding."
"All this serves to create a strong tree with a good balance. If any piece of the puzzle is missing, the orchard's tree performance will be inconsistent, limiting the productive potential. Therefore, a variety cannot be judged based on all the information."
The cherry harvest in Hungary will end in about ten days, says Kelemen. "We are harvesting the late varieties Kordia and Regina, the only ones left in the country," he concludes.
Source: FreshPlaza
Image: FreshPlaza
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