The horticultural enterprise of Grinora Fruit (Vinnytsia region, Ukraine) is harvesting up to 100 tons of sour cherries per day, primarily from the Kelleris and Lutovka varieties. This was reported by the company's chief agronomist, Yurii Ovchar, in an article for the magazine.
Nearly all the cherries go to the company's processing plant, located just 15 km from the orchards. While the Kelleris variety is more expensive to grow than Lutovka, both are economically viable given current market prices. Their staggered ripening times allow the company to spread out the harvest over a longer period.
Lutovka produces up to 30 tons per hectare with support.
Ovchar noted that Lutovka trees, five years after planting, require individual supports due to their heavy fruit load branches often bend close to the ground.
"Lutovka has proven to be much more productive than Kelleris," he wrote. "A Lutovka block planted in 2018 yielded 30 tons per hectare, while other plots produced 25–26 tons/hectare."
However, the highest-yielding plot produced softer fruit, possibly due to a lack of micronutrients. "We hadn't expected Lutovka to yield that much at all," Ovchar added.
Last season, due to adverse weather, Lutovka yields dropped to 12–14 t/ha. Even the block that had reached 30 t/ha in earlier years only managed 20 t/ha in 2024.
Source: agrotimes.ua
