This year, the Republic of Moldova exported over 16 thousand tons of cherries worth over 22 million dollars. The harvest season of Moldovan cherries concluded with a 12.5-fold increase in exports to the European Union compared to 2022.
During the 2023 season, Moldovan cherries were successfully delivered for the first time to several European Union countries, including Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. An additional 163 tons were exported to the United Kingdom.
In 2022, 208 tons of Moldovan cherries were exported to the EU, while in 2023, the export figure reached 2,600 tons, representing a 12.5-fold increase.
According to USAID, this achievement is attributed to the efforts and investments made by fruit producers in recent years. They invested in modern varieties that are in demand on the market, as well as post-harvest infrastructure such as forced cooling, storage, and packaging facilities for cherries, all in accordance with international standards.
Experts believe that 2023 can be considered a favorable year for producers seeking to access new cherry markets. This favorable situation is due to a lack of production from key competitors such as Greece, Spain, and Italy.
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Thanks to this favorable situation, Moldovan producers had the opportunity to meet the demand for cherries in the EU market. It also provided an exceptional opportunity for Moldovan producers to showcase their cherry offerings and demonstrate the competitiveness of Moldovan fruits in this market, paving the way for long-term commercial partnerships.
Vera Ciobanu is the manager of Moreller SRL, a company that produces cherries on an approximately 11-hectare orchard. This year, the company delivered cherries to Spain.
“Our cherry orchard started producing last year. This season was challenging for our company because, with the support of the USAID Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Project in Moldova, we implemented the requirements of the GLOBALG.A.P and GRASP standards. Additionally, we had our first experience of delivering fruits to the EU market. We ended the season with good results and valuable lessons learned,” says Vera Ciobanu.
In the past 5 years, cherry orchard areas in Moldova have grown from 3,600 to 4,300 hectares. Moldova is ranked among the top 15 countries in the world exporting cherries.