Turkey’s stone fruit crops contract due to spring frosts

Turkey’s stone fruit crops are down this year due to adverse weather in key growing areas. After years of growth, the total cherry production forecast for 2021/22 is 860,000 tons, down 6% from the previous campaign, due to frost damage in Izmir and Konya in the late spring, according to a USDA report. The country’s peach and nectarine production for 2021/22 is also down 6% to 830,000 tons due to frost damage in the late spring. Stone fruit exports are projected to drop slightly in 2021/22 due to the lower supplies. Turkey is currently working on increasing its exports of fresh sweet cherries to China.