USDA estimates that cherry production in China will reach 850,000 tons in the 2024-2025 season

The US Department of Agriculture forecasts a 6% increase in China's cherry production to 850,000 tons for the 2024-2025 season, despite ongoing drought in northern China. The drought has affected the size and quality of cherries but only impacts late-ripening varieties. This growth is attributed to expansion in acreage and improved yields, despite regulations on farmland use. Greenhouse production accounts for nearly half of Dalian's cherry production, and farmers are replacing older varieties with favorites. However, prices have dropped in this season due to weak demand and increased supply, though high-quality cherries remain expensive.

According to a new report from the US Department of Agriculture, USDA: cherry production in China will reach 850,000 tons in the 2024-2025 campaign (April-March), which represents an increase of 6% compared to the figure from the previous year. Currently, drought continues in some areas of northern China, including the main cherry producing province of Shandong. However, the cherry season in most northern producing areas, covering Shandong, Henan and Hebei, ended when the drought situation began to worsen in early June. Consequently, adverse weather will only affect late-ripening cherries, according to cherry growers in Yantai (Shandong), China's most important cherry-producing region. The drought has also caused fruit size to generally be smaller, cherry farmers in Yantai report. In other important producing areas, cherry production and quality are expected to improve under normal growing conditions. USDA expects the country's cherry production to continue growing in the coming ...