Never before did the Belgian cherry producers produce so many fruits. According to the Belgian Fruit Auction (BFV), this year more than 2,000,000 kilograms of Belgian cherry will be sold, and this is all due to a long period of good weather.
The BFV’s Director Filip Lowette told VRT News that “Nature has been especially kind to us this year. The blossom period went perfectly. Moreover, we have had a very dry and sunny period from the start of the picking season. This has resulted in a subliminal harvest”.
80% of the cherries grown in Belgium are for export. However, this year’s bumper harvests in other EU countries have served to put downward pressure on the price Belgian cherry growers can charge for their fruit.
Belgian apple-growers have suffered due to Russia’s boycott of EU fruit. Consequently, peer and cherry production in Belgium is increasing at the expense of apples.
400 hectares of new cherry orchards have been planted since 2010, bringing the total surface area planted with commercial cherry trees to 1,000 hectares.
