In Apulia (IT), early harvest for the Bigarreau variety

30 Apr 2024
802

‘It will be a year marked by earliness also for the cherry orchards in the open field, given the mild temperatures recorded until a few days ago and for much of the winter period. The fruits have reached an appreciably advanced stage of veraison. We will start harvesting the Bigarreau variety next weekend (end of April), marking an advance of about two weeks compared to last season, when the first cuts were made on 10 May'.

This was reported by entrepreneur Giacomo Giotta, owner of the company of the same name in Conversano (Bari - Apulia) with 20 hectares invested in cherry trees.

The great interest in cherries was already palpable with the first Italian greenhouse productions ready at the beginning of the month, as well as the Spanish ones that later arrived on the markets with prices per kilo prohibitive for the average consumer. In Apulia, the cherry orchards are in excellent health and a good campaign is expected in terms of quantity, quality and size, thanks so far to the absence of any return of cold weather or adverse weather phenomena.

‘The cherry market appears to be quite buoyant this year,’ says the producer. ‘I believe that demands will increase in the coming days, also because a satisfying percentage of extra produce is visible on the plants. Compared to 2023, yields are higher (around +20-25%), but this increase in production will not fully compensate for the numerous explantations that have recently occurred in our areas.

Some speak of a thousand fewer hectares than a year ago. The causes are attributable not only to the spread of Drosophila suzukii, but also to the acute shortage of labour and above all to the commercial crisis we have suffered in recent years'.

Source: Freshplaza
Image: Freshplaza


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

British Columbia cherries: 2025 shaping up to be a record season with strong export demand

Production

27 May 2025

Following 2024’s production collapse, the 2025 cherry season in British Columbia is expected to be historic: 5 million cartons forecast, outstanding fruit quality, rising domestic support, and strong international demand from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Control of Drosophila suzukii through mass trapping

Crop protection

12 Mar 2025

A promising approach for the control of SWD (Drosophila suzukii) is the control by means of mass traps, which contain a killing agent and use specific attractants to selectively reduce the population of the target pest.

In evidenza

Cherry growth: the three key stages for achieving exceptional fruit size

Quality

07 Aug 2025

Large-caliber cherries are shaped by three critical growth stages: cell proliferation, pit hardening, and final expansion. Genetics and physiology work together to determine the fruit’s size, sweetness, firmness, and premium quality for the most demanding markets.

Biotechnology of Prunus cerasus Marasca: Italy-Croatia research between Padua and Perugia

Processed

07 Aug 2025

A study by the Universities of Padua and Perugia explores the biotechnological potential of Prunus cerasus var. Marasca, a Croatian sour cherry used for Maraschino, highlighting flavanones such as naringenin and its promising nutraceutical industrial applications.

Tag Popolari