In 2024, cherry production faced numerous challenges due to climate conditions, that affected both the amount and the quality of the harvest. Late frosts, heavy rains, and other weather-related events put significant pressure on growers, drastically reducing production in some cases. Despite these challenges, the demand for cherries remained high, with prices rising especially for premium-quality fruit.
In this complex scenario, UNITEC technologies have provided a decisive solution for the industry. Advanced systems like Cherry Vision 3.0 and 3.5 AI have revolutionized the way cherries are selected and sorted. Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, these technologies allow to detect external defects with extreme precision, such as imperfections in the skin or variations in color and shape, ensuring that only high-quality fruit is delivered to the market.
Additionally, with the use of cutting-edge sensors, UNITEC’s sorting systems can also analyze the internal parameters of cherries, thus maximizing the value of every single fruit. Indeed, with UNIQ Cherry, it is possible to detect ripeness and firmness, further enhancing the effectiveness of the sorting process.
These innovative solutions enable fruit packing houses to significantly boost operational margins, drastically reduce labor costs, and entering new markets by offering consistent quality to their Customers—a key factor in building trust between the parties.
Thanks to these advanced technologies, all developed in-house by UNITEC’s R&D department at their headquarters in Italy, producers are better equipped to handle climate challenges while maintaining a high level of competitiveness. They can bring guaranteed quality cherries to market, even under adverse weather conditions.
23 Feb 2026
South Africa’s cherry industry has quadrupled acreage from 2012 to 2024 and aims to double production within five years. Exports reach 37%, with a focus on 28 mm+ calibers and new markets such as China, amid growing climate and logistics challenges in global trade.
24 Oct 2025
A new telomere-to-telomere reference genome for the sweet cherry ‘Tieton’, developed in China’s Shandong region, marks a major advance in plant genomics and opens new paths for precision breeding, genetic analysis, and varietal innovation in fruit crops.
10 Apr 2026
The first Spanish greenhouse cherries reach the European market with very limited volumes and prices up to €80/kg. Strong demand from the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the UK, while the open-field season may start later than usual, impacting exports.
10 Apr 2026
A study on 22 sweet cherry cultivars in Zaragoza examines how warmer winters affect dormancy and flowering. Declining winter chill alters phenology and threatens yield, varietal adaptation and long-term sustainability in Mediterranean growing regions.
