Argentine cherry season is underway, with the Integrated Producers Argentinean Cherries Association (CAPCI) projecting roughly 6,000 tons for exports as improved weather conditions give the sector hopes to regain steam.

CAPCI Manager Aníbal Caminiti tells FreshFruitPortal.com that they have observed good fruit quality and that they anticipate a positive season despite productive delays due to unusually cold spring weather.

“This season’s main characteristic is that harvest is later than usual by about 7 to 10 days. This is basically because of unseasonal weather, with a low-temperature variation between day and night,” Camineti says.

Weather woes have troubled South American growers during most of 2023, with the dreaded El Niño bringing heavy rains and higher temperatures. However, Camineti says that Argentine cherry growers have managed to avoid extensive damage to early varieties, which are the most vulnerable ones.

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“Early varieties such as Nimba and Frisco have not been damaged. Then varieties such as Brooks, which are grown particularly in Mendoza, have also stayed safe. We had some wind damage in some establishments due to wind probes, but in general the season has been good, I would say quite good,” he adds.

Around 50% of overall Argentine cherry production stays in the domestic market, while the other half is shipped to destination markets such as the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

“If weather conditions remain stable, with production at full capacity, we should recover volumes, exportable balances that we had lost last season due to climatic effects, and we should be exceeding 6,000 exportable tons this season,” Camineti says.