The Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta) has raised an alert about a possible reduction in cherry export projections due to the drop in fruit. “The projections made so far may need to be reduced,” stated the association in its report.
The alert is based on a survey conducted among cherry growers in different regions of the country. All have observed a notable fruit drop. In this regard, Fedefruta emphasized that this situation is a recurring issue reported by the consulted producers.
"We decided to raise this alert due to concerns about export management and the expected volumes, which may now be compromised,” explained Fedefruta.
The experts from the federation specified that despite favorable flowering, pollination, and climate, a fruit drop is being observed, especially in the Regina variety. “Even the Santina variety, although it is earlier, continues to fall,” they said. Other affected varieties include Royal Dawn and Lapins.
Although the specific cause is not yet known, Fedefruta points to several possible factors. “It could be due to a pattern, the area, the microclimate, or related to a varietal issue and agronomic management,” the experts commented. According to them, the fruit drop could be part of a natural load adjustment.
One of the producers consulted revealed an initial forecast of 8 million kilos of cherries in one of the early varieties but warned that the final harvest will be much lower. Fedefruta highlighted that this cherry phenomenon is putting export plans for this season to the test and stated that they will continue to monitor the situation.
Source: BioBioChile
Image: Mundoagro
27 May 2024
The Rainier price remained above $5 per pound. ‘It was the only cherry we made a profit on last year. That's what we count on every year,' said John Griggs Jr. who grows about 200 acres of cherries, half of which are Rainier.
16 May 2023
As part of the European Breeding Value project, CNR-IBE conducted a multilingual survey of over 900 European consumers to understand their liking of the fruit. The cherry achieved excellent results and was confirmed as one of the most popular fruits.
16 Sep 2025
Chilean agronomist Sebastián Tapia will speak at the VI Huacho Symposium. His focus on cherries highlights water management, early pruning, and rootstock choice as essential tools to achieve premium fruit quality, even in regions facing shorter or milder winter conditions.
16 Sep 2025
The 2025 US cherry season ended with shipments to China at 65% of 2024 levels. Despite tariffs, lychees and Canadian cherries, demand for premium varieties stayed strong. Quality, pricing and logistics remain the main challenges as the industry seeks diversification.
