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.