Sour cherry purchase prices.

The sour cherry buying campaign for processing is gaining momentum and scale, although it is clear that this year it will be marked by supply problems. This year's cherry harvest will be smaller, and this is an undeniable fact. The question remains: by how much smaller?

The reason for the drop in yields is spring frosts. Frosts have the characteristic of having very diverse effects. Even in a small area, differences can be substantial. However, on average, at the country level, we have a significant decrease in cherry production. Furthermore, this affects not only Poland, although our country is the largest player in the European cherry market. But this year, lower yields have affected essentially all countries in Europe.

Supply, or more precisely its shortages in relation to demand from processors, is the dominant factor in the market, and this is clearly visible in purchase prices. Despite a poor start, prices quickly rose to a level attractive to growers. It seems that after significant concerns and uncertainty before the buying campaign and right at its beginning, the mood on the supply side of the cherry market is now clearly optimistic.

So, how are cherry purchase prices shaping up? Cherries for freezing are most commonly bought at 1.24-1.33 EUR/kg; cherries for pressing at 0.69-0.92 EUR/kg, and cherries for compote at 1.24-1.31 EUR/kg. We are seeing a significant price increase year on year. Around 180 percent for frozen cherries, about 55 percent for cherries for pressing, and about 105 percent for cherries for compote. Market participants are wondering whether this year the barrier of 1.38 EUR/kg for frozen cherries will be surpassed.