After a solid winter, the Turkish cherry season of 2026 is expected to be much better, although the uncertainty for more frost is not completely gone just yet, says Hamdi Taner, managing director of Turkish produce exporter Perla Fruit: "We had a long and hard winter, which helped the dormancy period. 2025 was a unique year, with nearly no cherries due to late frost. The frost season has not finished yet for the 2026 season. Hopefully, at the beginning of May, we'll be more certain of a normal good year."
© Perla Fruit Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S.
As the season was very difficult last year, many cherry importers looked for alternative markets to source their produce from. Taner is certain that the Turkish cherry will bounce back this year. "Many other regions, in addition to the Turkish one, took some market share last year to balance the lack of supply from Turkish exporters. However, none of the alternatives have the same reliable single variety, such as Ziraat 0900, throughout an eight-to-ten week supply. The Turkish cherry has a very unique position, where we can source cherries from many regions in different latitudes and altitudes. There are also some early and late varieties coming to production to prolong the supply season even further. Turkiye is where the cherry was born, and it is for sure a cherry country."
© Perla Fruit Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S.
"Our objective for this season is to fulfill our 6000-ton capacity with the best quality cherries, from our established safe grower base. We will continue to use the strength of our Perla Lab, which is the largest pesticide laboratory in Turkiye, in order to guarantee food safety to our customers. We have the most advanced AI-driven packing and Quality Assurance systems in place, so we're ready to take advantage of them in 2026! Our strategy will be the same, supplying our long-term customers with the best quality Perla Fruit cherries," Taner concludes.
For more information:
Hamdi Taner
Perla Fruit
Tel: +90 54 426 81 601
[email protected]
www.perlafruit.com
