Franconia fruit farmers expect an average cherry harvest

Among farmers in the Franconia region sweet cherries are the best-known and most popular fruit. The yearly yield fluctuates between 2,500 and 3,000 metric tons, and according to the producer organization Franken Obst this amount will be reached this year too. The harvest period is until 15 August. Especially the late cherry varieties are successful, while the yield of early varieties will be lower, due to frost damage. 

According to the estimates of the Federal Statistical Office German fruit farmers are expected to harvest 48,100 metric tons of cherries in 2016, this is below average. 

The initial estimate (10 June 2016) predicted a harvest of 32,400 metric tons of sweet cherries and 15,700 metric tons of sour cherries. The 2015 harvest was also poor, with 31,400 metric tons of sweet cherries and 17,100 metric tons of sour cherries. This year’s harvest is about 9% lower than the average of the last decade. The decrease in harvest is particularly high in sour cherries (-26% compared to the average of the last decade). The yield of sweet cherries increased slightly (+2%). 

Heavy rain, hail and frost damaged the cherry blossoms and this has a negative effect on the total harvested volume. The significant decline in sour cherries is furthermore due to the sharp decrease in the cultivation areas since 2007.

Nationwide, sweet cherries are grown on 5,100 hectares. And the largest area is located in Baden-Württemberg with 41% of the area (almost 2,100 hectares). Franconian Switzerland (Fränkische Schweiz) has 200,000 cherry trees on 2,500 hectares, one of the largest cherry regions in Europe. Sour cherries are cultivated on an area of 2,000 hectares. The German states Rhineland-Palatinate (620 hectares) and Saxony (480 hectares) are the main producing regions.

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