This year’s cherry harvest covers domestic needs

By: STA Date: 2024. 06. 18. 09:00

The cherry growers can have a good year because the weather has been favorable, so this year’s crop will surely cover domestic needs, said the state secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture (AM) responsible for agriculture and rural development at a press conference promoting cherry consumption in Budapest on Tuesday.

(Photo: AM)

Zsolt Feldman emphasized that the cherry is one of the most ancient fruits in Hungary, which also has a place in modern, health-conscious nutrition. Domestically, approximately 2,600 producers cultivate a total of 12,000 to 14,000 hectares, and the latest planting support contributed to the creation of more than 1,000 hectares of high-yielding and crop-safe plantations. Foreign demand indicates that the Hungarian county has a future, which is why the support for planting plantations continues. Producers can request support for the establishment of traditional or organic plantations equipped with water-saving irrigation systems, for protection against weather risks and for the purchase of equipment necessary for the care of cherry trees, he added. In addition, the state secretary highlighted the tender opportunities that encourage the development and establishment of processing plants, the resources of which can also be used in cherry processing. The application and technological conditions are given, so now it’s the consumers’ turn if they want high-quality cherries grown in Hungary – said Zsolt Feldman.

The vice president of the FruitVeB Interprofessional Organization and Product Council estimated this year’s harvest at 55-60 thousand tons

Ferenc Takács added that this does not exceed the average of the last 15-20 years, but in one of the main competitors, in Poland, at least half of the cherries were taken away by the spring frosts. Favorable weather is still important, because cherries are vulnerable before harvest, and it was a challenge for the processing industry that, due to early ripening, the first shipments to the freezing and canning plants arrived 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. According to Ferenc Takács, almost 10,000 tons of cherries may be exported this year, and due to the limited supply, producers can hope for good purchase prices. He is also confident that planting subsidies can stop or even reverse the shrinking of fruit-growing areas.

The managing director of the Agrármarketing Centrum (AMC) announced that tastings are organized throughout the country, recipes are published and fruit consumption is promoted with prize games. According to Péter Ondré, at the beginning of the summer fruit season, it is particularly important to draw the attention of consumers to the fact that cherries are a healthy and delicious food, which is one of the most important raw materials not only for the processing industry, but also for households.

MTI