There is a huge international demand for Hungarian fruit

Hungary’s sour cherry season has commenced, and the early varieties are being picked. The National Chamber of Agriculture (Nemzeti Agrárgazdasági Kamara – NAK) and FruitVeB, the Hungarian Fruit and Vegetable Interbranch Organisation and Product Council (Magyar Zöldség-Gyümölcs Szakmaközi Szervezet és Terméktanács), highlights that this year’s harvest promises high-quality, juicy produce.

Hungary is the third largest producer of sour cherries in Europe. Their unique taste, flavor, and nutritional value make these fruits highly sought after abroad, writes Agrotrend.

Domestic production

The harvesting of early sour cherry varieties has recently begun. In the coming weeks, Hungarian sour cherries will continue to appear in shops and markets. The sour cherry harvest typically begins in the Danube-Tisza area and concludes in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg region. This year, sour cherries are cultivated on 13,000 hectares in Hungary, with the largest production areas found in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Heves, Pest, Győr-Moson-Sopron and Bács-Kiskun counties.

On average, the annual sour cherry yield reaches around 60 thousand tonnes. Experts predict a near-average quantity this year, despite challenges such as spring frosts, inclement weather during the flowering period, and temperature fluctuations during fruit set. While these factors have led to a significant reduction in crop setting, the remaining fruit is larger in size. This will result in a national harvest that may be only 15-20 percent lower than last year. The increased use of crop protection measures has helped mitigate the damage caused by moniliaceous infestation.

Based on a survey conducted by the National Chamber of Agriculture and FruitVeB, the most extensively cultivated sour cherry varieties in Hungary include Érdi bőtermő, Újfehértói bürtös, Debreceni bőtermő and Kántorjánosi.

International export

The average domestic consumption of sour cherries ranges from 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes per year. In addition to fresh sour cherries, preserves are also highly popular and available throughout the year on store shelves. Hungarian-bred sour cherry varieties, known for their excellent flavour, are in great demand in the German market. A significant portion of domestic sour cherries, typically 60-80 percent, end up abroad, predominantly in Germany. A considerable amount is used for cherry preserves.

In general, Hungarian sour cherries find applications in various industries, including canning, refrigeration (frozen), juice production, fresh markets, drying and pálinka production, among others.

Source: Agrotrend