There have been many cherry varieties in the past years, however, 2 of those have remained in Belgium. “About 60 to 70% of the Belgian cherry production are of the Regina or Kordia variety. These varieties are not the newest, but they seem to be very good, especially regarding their export quality. Our customers are looking for hard and black cherries,” says a cherry producer from Belgium. “Every day new varieties are being tested, we’ll just have to wait and see if they are successful.”
Belgium – country of export
He expects that the volumes of these two varieties will increase more and more in the future. “With regard to cherries, Belgium is an export country, so these varieties will only become more and more important. It is different in the Netherlands, there they sell cherries where they are grown. The most important customers for Belgium are France and England. There is also export to other European countries and even to China. Those volumes are still quite small.
The producer expects that there will be more cherry production under roofs in Belgium. “The most part is still grown outside. Most plantations are older and it costs extra. If new trees are planted, this usually happens in a sheltered area. This will only continue in the future, but the transition period could take five to ten years.