Over 16,000 tonnes of sweet cherries to the value of more than US$22 million were exported by Moldova this year. The 2023 cherry harvesting and export season ended with a 12.5 time rise in exports to the EU compared with 2022. Moldovan cherries were for the first time exported to a number of EU member states. As many as 163 tonnes of cherries were sold to the UK, IPN reports.
Experts consider the year 2023 can be considered favorable for producers that wanted to access new markets for cherries. This beneficial situation is due to the lack of competition from such major producers as Greece, Spain, and Italy. Owing to this conjuncture, the Moldovan producers could satisfy demand for cherries on the EU market. It was also a special opportunity for Moldovan producers to present the supply of cherries and to show the Moldovan fruit’s competitiveness on this market for developing long-term partnerships. The Moldovan cherries this year reached such countries as Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands for the first time.
Vera Ciobanu, manager of Moreller SRL, which grows cherries on an area of about 11 ha, said that this year their company supplied cherries to Spain. The cherry orchard started to yield fruit last year. “We ended the season with good results and with learned lessons. We realized that to be competitive on the EU market, we must sort the cherries before delivery. We do not have such infrastructure, but next year we will look for a partner that has a cherry sorting line so as to be able to cope with the export requirements,” stated Vera Ciobanu.
“To remain competitive and to meet the export requirements, the producers need to further work on cherry production and post-harvest technological processes so as to ensure the inoffensiveness and high quality of the fruit. As the EU importers are very strict about the quality of fruit, the Moldovan producers must meet the requirements concerning the maximum residue levels for four active substances in seed fruit, which are asked by large retailers from the EU,” said Andrei Cumpanici food safety, quality and sustainability manager at the USAID Moldova Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity.
Over the past five years, the areas of cheery orchards in Moldova have grown from 3,600 to 4,300 hectares. Moldova is among the 15 leading cherry exporters of the world.
