On September 30, 2025, Argentina's first fresh cherries were harvested in an experimental plantation located in the temperate valley of Jujuy, a province in the northwest of the country.
The trial, carried out with 2,000 plants and six cultivars planted between 2022 and 2023, is led by Güizzo Frutas Frescas S.A. in alliance with producer Oscar Machuca (Finca Machuca, Monterrico, Jujuy) and Dr. Viviana Curzel, professor and researcher at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the UNJu.
© Güizzo Frutas Frescas S.A.
Second season
In this second season, the cultivars Minnie Royal and Royal Lee, first-generation varieties from Zaiger's genetic program, showed highly promising results:
- 25 to 29° Brix.
- Intense and homogeneous color, with harvest point at levels 2 to 3 on the CTIFL scale.
- Texture and consistency: firm and crunchy.
- Average size: 22 to 24 mm.
The trial included a package of precision agronomic management, which resulted in a decent fruit set for the current plant structure.
Differential advantages
The temperate valley of Jujuy has unique conditions for extra-early production:
- Short, mild winters, with 20-25 average cold spells and rapid thermal accumulation after dormancy.
- Concentrated rainfall in summer, coinciding with the vegetative stage, reduces climatic risks during harvest.
- High solar radiation and low relative humidity help enhance the fruit's color and flavor.
These conditions, combined with the right technical management, have made it possible to harvest in week 40 for the second consecutive year, around the same time as the first fruits obtained in the north-east of South Africa, and 15-20 days earlier than in Mendoza (Argentina) and Coquimbo (Chile), the most traditional areas for South America's first cherries.
© Güizzo Frutas Frescas S.A.
Strategic projection
According to engineer Nicolás Güizzo, director and technical manager of Güizzo Frutas Frescas S.A., "being able to deliver quality cherries at the end of September is a strategic advantage. It creates enormous commercial opportunities, both in the domestic Argentinian market and for future exports. It's also true that being a marginal area for cherry production entails the need for certain challenges to be tackled in each cycle."
The project has served to confirm the adaptability of Zaiger cultivars to local conditions, and this opens the door to the introduction of other new extra-early varieties, including some developed in the framework of the Bloom Fresh genetic program, among others, with low winter cold requirements.
Jujuy's projection
According to Dr. Viviana Curzel, the region already has more than 40 years of history in the production of early and extra-early peaches, nectarines, and plums. The extra-early cherry trial confirms the huge potential of Jujuy's temperate valley as an early production area for stone fruit trees, highlighting its capacity to offer high-quality fruit in unique harvest periods, both to supply the Argentinian market and to open up commercial opportunities abroad.
For more information:
Ing. Nicolás Güizzo
[email protected]
Dr. Viviana Curzel
[email protected]
