Today, the cherry season has started for grower Benny Herbots. The grower from Zoutleeuw in Flanders grows exclusively outdoors and is looking forward to a better season than last year. "Due to the weather conditions, we had a lot of problems then, but things are looking much better now. In the early varieties, Belisse and Folfer, there is some damage from last week's rain, but Samba has almost no damage, so we hope to start picking those at the end of this week or the beginning of next," says Benny.
The season is roughly in line with last year. "Back then, we also started picking around this time. Now that we've had slightly better conditions, there is still some damage in Belisse and Folfer due to light rainfall. These varieties really can't handle wet conditions well and should be grown under cover. However, I'm at a point in life where I'm slowly but surely looking to hand over the business. We have a potential successor, but until recently, it wasn't clear what he would decide. In that situation, you don't invest in a canopy. But if he decides to take over, we'll certainly cover these varieties, allowing us to deliver better quality there too."
"Especially because, certainly, Folfer is not a bad cherry. It's just very sensitive. Still, these varieties were mainly planted to extend the season a bit and now serve mostly as a starting point. In terms of quality, they generally don't match Samba, Kordia, or Regina. Those are the standout varieties we are really waiting on to properly kick off the season. That's true for the trade as well. They want firm cherries and are eagerly waiting for Samba, Kordia, and Regina."
Benny Herbots
Nevertheless, the grower already sees good demand emerging. "This is mainly due to limited supply across Europe. There is considerable damage in Greece, Turkey, Spain, and also in the south of France. But it's especially in the Eastern bloc that bad weather has caused major delays, so market pressure is lower. That creates room for the Belgian crop, provided our quality holds up. So far, that seems to be the case, but with cherries, you always have to be cautious. Especially when they're not covered, anything can still happen—but let's not dwell on that. For now, we're hoping for a good season, with a decent harvest brought in under normal conditions. If quality is good, attractive prices usually follow. At least, that's typically how it goes."
Concerns for the future
Despite the fact that Benny is already thinking about succession, he still has concerns about the future of cherry cultivation. "The pressure remains the same as in previous years. Tomorrow there's also a meeting of the professional groups to discuss the future and how to deal with restrictions on the crop protection package. I read calls for consumers to stop eating cherries treated with Tracer, but the pressure is enormous and only increasing. There are no alternatives. If there were, we as growers would gladly adopt them. So if people want to keep eating cherries, we must be allowed to keep producing them. Crop protection products are essential right now, and I hope people use their common sense and allow us to continue growing cherries."
For more information:
Benny Herbots
Asbroekstraat 99
3440 Zoutleeuw, Belgium
Tel: +32 11 78 29 06
