The stone fruit production in Moldova has taken heavy hits during two periods of frost, damaging the potential yield this season, says Stefan Pislaru, commercial director for Moldovan cherry exporter StarAgro Group: "In April 2025, Moldova experienced two severe frost events that caused substantial damage to fruit crops across the country. On April 11, temperatures dropped as low as -6°C in the northern regions, and national reports indicate that 30 to 100% of the apricot and cherry harvests were compromised in various areas. At Staragro Group, we registered a minimum of -3.24°C during the first frost, which had a serious impact on our production. The second wave on April 28 reached just 0.12°C in our orchards and fortunately did not cause additional harm."
According to Pislaru, StarAgro lost about half of its apricot production during the first period of frost. "The first frost directly affected varieties that were in full bloom. As a result, we suffered a 50% loss in our apricot production and approximately a 30% reduction in cherries. The damage was especially evident in sensitive varieties like Kordia, Skeena, Zirat, Stella, and Red Pacific. Kordia was the most severely hit. Meanwhile, other varieties such as Regina, Rocket, Frisco, Black Star, Early Star, Grace Star, Ferrovia, and Red Giant showed much better resistance. Notably, Nimba and Samba were unaffected and are showing stronger yields than in past years."
Although cherries were not affected as much as the apricots, there are still significant losses due to the frost, Pislaru explains: "Overall, cherry production will be lower than anticipated. While several varieties remain unaffected and are progressing well, the 30% loss across others, especially premium cultivars like Kordia, means that total volumes will fall short of our early-season projections. It will be a challenging year, and we're shifting focus toward optimizing the quality and marketability of the remaining crop."
Pislaru emphasizes it won't just be exports that will be affected by the current situation, but the domestic market as well. "The lower yields are likely to put pressure on both domestic and export channels. We will prioritize our established export contracts, which could lead to limited availability on the local market. That said, the performance of certain unaffected varieties gives us some margin to navigate the situation, though not without difficulty."
"This season will undoubtedly be more difficult than expected. The frost-related losses, particularly in apricots and some cherry varieties, have forced us to revise our outlook. However, the strong condition of certain cultivars and our diversified portfolio offer some relief. While we may not reach the growth targets we set earlier this year, we are focused on maintaining our standards and fulfilling our most important market obligations," Pislaru concludes.
For more information:
Stefan Pislaru
StarAgro Group
Tel: +373 797 77805
[email protected]
www.staragro-md.com