Sour cherries will be an expensive treat this year – the harvest is at a historic low

According to the professional forecast of FruitVeB, only 35 thousand tons of sour cherry are expected in Hungary this year, which is 20 thousand tons less than last year and almost half of the average annual yield. The main reason for the drastic decline is the April frost, which hit the northern and eastern parts of the country – the main sour cherry-growing regions – particularly hard. The loss reaches 100 percent for some early varieties.

In addition to the poor harvest, the stock level of processed products is also extremely low, so a supply shortage and price increases can be expected on the market. At the same time, the fruit is developing favorably in terms of size, and no serious plant protection problems have arisen.

The situation is not only unfavorable in Hungary: in Poland, a 20-30 percent crop loss is reported, in Ukraine 30 percent, and in Serbia an undetermined amount. Only a fraction of last year’s 136.8 thousand tons of Hungarian harvest is expected this year.

According to professional expectations, due to the limited supply, the demand from the processing industry may overstretch the market in the first days of the season – sour cherries will be a rare and expensive delicacy this year.