An overview of global cherry production

While South Africa isn’t a significant producer of cherries, farmers here can learn many important lessons from their international counterparts, which include Turkey and Chile. Janine Ryan reports.

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The Northern Hemisphere experienced some major challenges during the 2021/22 cherry production season, largely due to unfavourable weather conditions. Logistics and port problems were also encountered there as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns. However, countries in Europe and South America saw good yields.

TURKEY

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Turkey is the world’s largest producer of cherries, accounting for more than 20% of total production. The country’s production conditions, including soil type and climate, are ideal for cherry production.

In 2019, Turkey produced 640 000t of cherries, 78 000t of which were exported at a value of around US$200 million (about R3 billion today). In 2020, the country produced 732 000t of cherries and exported 87 944t. This makes Turkey the fourth-biggest cherry exporter in the world. Denizli in the south-western part of the country leads its production.

The main cherry varieties produced in Turkey are the Ziraat 900, Regina and Kordia. The season lasts between 40 and 50 days, but new production strategies have led to the extension of the season to around 70 days in recent years.

The export season runs from the beginning of May to the end of July, and exports are expected to reach 100 000t over the next season.

In Turkey, cherries grow naturally between the regions of Artvin and Kocaeli in North Anatolia and the Taurus Mountains in the south, write Ali Küden