The Turkish exporter is waiting for prices to normalise and quality to rise before harvesting its first cherries of the season, but production appears untouched by inclement weather
Having started the year with weather problems that proved disastrous for Turkish apricots, producer-exporter Alanar is grateful that its cherries appear to be untouched by inclement conditions, at least for now.
“Our apricot orchards were ruined by the bad weather, including hail, frost and heavy rain,” said commercial coordinator Yigit Gökyigit. “Thank God, our cherries are safe for now. We will start harvesting from our orchards in less than two weeks.”
The cherry season has already started in some Turkish regions, but Alanar is keen to remain patient.
“Grower prices are super high and the quality is not at its best,” said Gökyigit, “so I decided to wait to kick off the season until the prices have normalised. I think mid-season, around late June, will be good for Turkish cherry exporters as it looks like volumes will be high in those regions.”
Turkish exporters continue to wait on the cherry export protocol from China, which has been on hold since 2020, to the frustration of cherry suppliers.
“I believe the protocol may be valid again this year, probably in July, so hopefully we will be able to export some cherries to China before the season ends,” said Gökyigit.
