Dried sour cherries: 95% decline in exports

Mundus Agri: While Turkey's dried sour cherry exports have declined sharply this season, local prices have nearly doubled.

Sharp rise in prices

Last year's spring frosts were terrible news for Turkey's sour cherry production. The market estimates that fresh cherry production only ranged at 120,000-130,000 mt in 2022, which is 30-40% down on the 183,000 mt officially produced in 2021. Since producers require 8 kg of fresh cherries to turn out 1 kg of dried cherries, dried cherry production may be estimated at 15,000-16,000 mt in 2022/2023. Turkey still has to issue official estimates for the current season.

Although sour cherries are versatile and highly popular with food manufacturers, high prices have deterred buyers this season. 

95% slump in exports

Turkey only shipped 3,744 kg of dried sour cherries overseas between August and December 2022, as data issued by the Aegean Exporters' Association shows. This is a 95% slump on the 80,463 kg registered in the same period in 2021.