An unanticipated event challenges cherry producers in Bulgaria this season. In Kyustendil, all plantations have been decimated by spring frosts. Meanwhile, agriculture in Southwestern Bulgaria faces a new challenge—an influx of Moroccan locusts, currently concentrated in the Sandanski region.
As fruit grower Petar Domozelkov stated to NOVA, "Below minus 2 degrees there is no salvation, the trees are completely frozen," reflecting failed attempts to protect the crop, such as burning straw.
The Institute of Agriculture in Yabalkovo mirrors this scenario with cherry-free trees, highlighting the frost's impact on April 8 and 9. Experts affirm that trees lack buds due to the cold snap.
The region of Kyustendil, dubbed the "orchard of Bulgaria," anticipates a season void of local cherries, marking the second instance in three decades of total crop loss.
Bulgarian consumers will predominantly depend on imports from Chile, Turkey, and Greece, influencing persistently high cherry prices.
Agricultural professionals caution against excessive irrigation and fertilization, warning that such actions could exacerbate issues for trees that weathered the freeze.
Source: akmu
