Producers and processors fight in the county factories: Polish prices have fallen to a record low

The sour cherry market fared even worse: buyers there are only offering prices of 465–485 forints per kilogram, which is almost half of the previous peak of the season. Although the price of frozen sour cherries is still higher than last year and more than double the average of the past five years, the decline came as a surprise to many producers.

Polish sour cherry growers believe that this year’s extremely low harvest would justify the higher prices in itself. But processors see it differently: they believe that producing frozen products is risky even at current price levels, as there is no guarantee that the goods made from expensively procured fruit will actually be sold – especially in light of uncertain European demand.

The Polish example illustrates the tension between the processing industry and producers, which is becoming increasingly acute amid climate change, rising costs and global market uncertainty. The coming weeks will show where the price negotiations between the parties will position sour cherries for the rest of the season.