The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry estimates that the cherry harvest this year will be larger than last year. Maria Cioclu, head of the Ministry’s Phitotechny Products Division, has told IPN that a cherry harvest of about 12,000 tonnes is projected. Last year the frosts affected a large part of the cherry trees and the harvest was of only 7,600 tonnes.

“This year harvesting started a week ago. The early sorts of cherries began to be collected and the process will continue until the end of June or even the start of July,” stated Maria Cioclu.

On the other hand, executive director of the Association “Moldova Fruct” Iurie Fala is not so optimistic and said that the pollination of fruit trees this year was weaker and the weather was rather cold. “There were unfavorable meteorological conditions that can influence the harvest. That’s why the cherries this year become ripe later. We need sorts of cherries that would be resistant to rain and frost,” stated Iurie Fala.

Cherries this year are harvested from an area of 3,500 hectares.