The campaign of Picota cherries from Jerte has started positively in the north of the Spanish province of Caceres, "with good volumes and high quality", says Fátima López-Santamaría, a technician from DOP Cereza del Jerte. "We had a couple of days of rain that might have caused some losses.
An evaluation has not yet been made to quantify the affected volume; however, for now, these losses seem to be insignificant. In fact, the impact has been more evident in other intermediate varieties of cherries than in the late Ambrunés varieties, which are the Picotas from Jerte covered by the DOP Cereza del Jerte".
Producers from Extremadura still remember last year's campaign, in which, unfortunately, the rains had a decisive impact. "For this reason, we hope that the losses are minimal and not noteworthy", he says. "Especially this year, in which the quality of Jerte Picota cherries is extraordinary".
The Picota del Jerte is a variety of cherry originating from the Jerte Valley, where it has been traditionally cultivated among mountains over 1,000 meters in altitude since the 17th century, as stated by the DOP.
"It is essential to remember that the harvesting of Picota cherries, highly demanded in both the domestic and export markets, begins in mid-June, because one of the most significant problems that the DOP faces every year is the commercialization of regular cherries with the stalk removed to pass them off as Picota cherries, illegally using the DOP brand for fruits that are neither an authentic Picota cherry nor certified or authorized by the DOP Regulatory Council".
Read the full article: FreshPlaza
Image: Financial Food
13 Jun 2024
The brochure is signed by José Manuel Donoso, researcher at INIA Rayentué. "The sweet cherry is one of the most popular fruit trees in the world, however, genetic improvement has been slow due to the large size of the tree and the long unproductive period."
05 Apr 2024
"The country recorded a 43% increase in exports this 2023-2024 season," says Wayne Prowse, director of Cherry Growers Australia, "exceeding 4,000 tonnes was good. But it is still not the growth to return to 2017-2020 levels."
03 Apr 2026
A study examines the impact of soil salinity on sweet cherry by comparing MaxMa 14 and Gisela 6 rootstocks. Differences in growth, biomass, and salt stress tolerance provide practical guidance for improving orchard resilience and long-term productivity.
03 Apr 2026
Dark sweet cherries improve gut microbiota, reduce inflammation, and support memory and focus. Scientific studies highlight benefits for metabolism and cognitive health, especially in higher-risk individuals and widespread metabolic conditions, with growing scientific validation.
