Argentinian Cherry Crop Forecast To Fall 14% This Year

Data recently released by Argentina’s Rural Development Institute (Instituto de Desarrollo Rural) indicate that the Argentinian cherry crop will fall by 14% to 4,100 metric tons this year owing to frosts and droughts.

In terms of cultivars, the production volume of Bing cherries is forecast to decrease by 21% to 1,728 metric tons in 2021, while the output of Lapins cherries is expected to reach 684 metric tons, corresponding to a year-on-year increase of 48%.

Argentina’s annual cherry output has fluctuated considerably in recent years. In 2015, the production volume was only 2,035 metric tons. This soared to 5,901 metric tons in 2017 and then plummeted by 60% to 2,346 metric tons in 2018. The downward trend did not stop in 2019, when the production volume saw a further decline to 2,245 metric tons. Against this backdrop, 2020 and 2021 can be regarded as bumper crop years, with both exceeding 4,000 metric tons.

According to Fragapane Hermanos, a grower and exporter of Argentinian cherries, the season kicked off three weeks ago. As a result of severe frosts, the company expects to produce 20% fewer cherries this season. Nonetheless, its cherry exports have increased by 17–19% so far compared to the same period of last year.

The historical record for Argentinian cherry exports is approximately 2,500 metric tons, with shipments typically peaking in December. The major cherry-producing regions in the country include Mendoza (784 hectares), Chubut (338 hectares), Río Negro (264.5 hectares), Neuquén (220 hectares) and Santa Cruz (208 hectares).

Image: Los Andes

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.