Because of the storms, wet weather and overcast days, one would almost forget that we are in the height of summer. This is the peak moment for Belgian cherries, but even there things are not yet going as desired this season. "The general picture is that most growers have somewhat overestimated their harvest. Especially regarding the varieties up to and including Kordia, there were a lot of quality problems due to the excessive rain. In the end, the harvest did not catch up," grower Benny Herbots tells us.
"Because of this, prices are also not quite what people expect," the cherry grower from Zoutleeuw, Flanders, continues. "You're stuck with lower production anyway, which normally translates into higher prices, but that's not the case this year either. Why is that? I have no idea. I think that across Europe there has not been a bountiful harvest, but prices are stuck at a level that doesn't compensate for the lesser kilos either."
"We are now picking the Regina and that actually looks good quality," Benny explains. "So up to and including the Kordia, there has been a fair amount of failure of cracked cherries. In the Regina, it's considerably less, but I don't think it can make it through this season. Alas, we have to be honest about that. It's just very challenging. We have faced two extremes in the last two season. Last year it was pitch-dry and this season it kept raining. That demands a lot from a grower."
Benny Herbots.
Worries about the future
Regulations are not making things easier for cherry growers in this respect, he says. "Our resources are getting less and less, but with the current weather, we need everything we can get to achieve a 'normal' harvest. Decisions are being made that do not take into account the situation in the fields. When you see what is now being put forward as an alternative, I can already assure everyone, with my entire life of experience, that we are not going to make it."
"I think the story is going to become even more dire for pears. There too, people are already starting to question the future of the crop. We see the same thing as far as cherries are concerned. Not only in Belgium, but also in the Netherlands, for example. I still hope that people will open their eyes and come up with a good alternative or extend the current means, because otherwise I see it looking bleak. Especially with the fact that customers also often want to be below regulatory standards, but there is a lower limit and we are close to it."
It worries Benny. "I have been growing this crop all my life, and there are always good and not so good years. We have to make do with that, but you have to be able to offer a solid package that can fight the diseases and insects and at the same time allow profitable cultivation. That is being made impossible, and I fear that the consequence will be that Belgian cherry growing will be endangered. You can already see it. No more acreage is being added. Many plots that are coming of age are being uprooted, but very few new plots are being added. You hear it from tree growers too. Demand is simply getting less and less. Something has to be done."
For more information:
Benny Herbots
Asbroekstraat 99
3440 Zoutleeuw, Belgium
Tel: +32 11 78 29 06