The seven-nation European project BreedingValue is aimed at enhancing the value of fruits such as strawberry, blueberry and raspberry, and involves seven nations Italy, France, Germany, Spain, UK, Finland and Turkey.
One of the activities of the project, conducted between March and July 2022, and led by the Institute of Bioeconomics of the CNR, with the support of European partners, was to engage consumers through a multilingual online survey to understand the liking of the fruits studied in the project, compared to other popular fruits.
More than 900 consumers participated in the survey, and the most popular fruit among the 18 proposed was strawberry, with raspberry in fourth place and blueberry in fifth. Excellent placings then for these 'up-and-coming' fruits.
In second place was the cherry, with an average rating of 6.1 out of 7.
The cherry is, among the most liked fruits, in third place in Turkey, second place in France and the United Kingdom, almost equal to the strawberry for Spanish consumers, and first place for Italian consumers (rating 6.4 out of 7).
In Germany, the whole podium is for the berry: strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, in that order, with the cherry in fourth place.
Only in Finland is the cherry not among the top 10 most popular fruits, but the difference between the opinions of consumers in the different countries gives an idea that the online survey was conducted carefully and with a desire to offer honest individual judgements.
The survey, it is important for the research, to segment consumers according to preferences and expectations, highlighted the high appreciation for berries, but also showed how the cherry, together with the peach (in third position
according to international ratings ... and second in Italy ahead of the strawberry), is an important reference when it comes to taste, quality and the pleasure of eating fruit.
28 Feb 2025
Export volumes have already exceeded 5,000 tonnes, driven by high demand during the Chinese New Year period in East Asia. Taiwan remains the largest market, followed by China, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
Consumption Markets Production
30 Aug 2023
The total cherry production forecast in Türkiye in Marketing Year 2023/24 is 900,000 metric tons, which is 8% higher than MY 2022/23, due to favorable weather and soil conditions. As of early August 2023, cherry exports have reached 75,000 MT, on track to surpass the previous MY.
26 Jun 2026
A three-year study in Poland compares organic and conventional sour cherries, showing that cultivar, climate and season affect fruit quality more than orchard management alone. Oblačinska stands out as the most promising cultivar for high-quality organic production.
26 Jun 2026
A Tasmanian study examines how clear and opaque rain covers change orchard microclimate, light, leaf physiology and cherry quality, combining replicated field trials and grower case studies to help producers improve fruit performance, harvest timing and storage potential.
