The stone fruit season is looking promising in the EU. Harvest started up to about ten days earlier given the warmer weather in spring, allowing for faster growth of fruit. Producers benefited from placing early harvest fruit on the market at favorable prices. Marketing Year (MY) 2024/25 output is expected to exceed previous season levels despite the long-term decline in stone fruit area.
In spite of the production recovery, consumption is expected to grow only slightly. One of the factors behind this trend includes food inflation, forcing the most price-sensitive consumers to switch away from fresh fruit consumption. Another factor discouraging stone fruit consumption is the lower-thanaverage early summer temperatures prevailing in the EU's northwest. Interestingly, despite its comparatively higher prices, the interest for exotic fruits continues to expand, at the expense of more traditional fruits categories such as citrus, fresh deciduous, and stone fruits.
The EU is a net exporter of peaches with exports largely exceeding imports. The larger domestic availability is anticipated to allow exports to grow. Imports, particularly in the off-season, are projected to remain flat. In the case of cherries, the EU is a net importer, largely reliant on the Turkish supply.
Like other EU minor crop farmers, stone fruit producers are concerned about the burden imposed by European Union (EU) regulations (affecting plant health, environment, and packaging) which ultimately have a direct impact on production cost. Stone fruits are also increasingly affected by changing climate conditions. Farmers are searching for varieties with lower chill hour requirements suitable for less cold regions, or early season varieties, as they have the potential to offer improved income opportunities.
Similarly to other tree crop producers, labor availability during harvest time remains a significant problem for stone fruit growers.
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