As the Belgian cherry season draws to a close, Sint-Truiden-based cooperative BFV (Belgian Fruit Valley) can look back on a highly successful campaign, which saw sales reach a record of more than 2,000 tonnes.
BFV’s commercial director, Marc Evrard, attributed the result to ideal climatic conditions, with dry and sunny weather ensuring a level of quality not witnessed for many years.
The record volume was supported by state-of-the-art electronic sorting with hydrocooling, allowing wholesalers to offer top-quality cherries while limiting foreign imports.
According to BFV, 80 per cent of sales were domestic, in part the result of a focused media campaign by the company in Belgium. Export opportunities were also limited this season due to the excellent weather throughout Europe, causing cherry regions to come into production simultaneously and affecting prices.
BFV chooses attractive, firm and tasty varieties that are blessed with a long shelf-life, including Samba, Kordia, Regina and Sweetheart. Since 2010, cherry cultivation in Belgium has risen from 600ha to more than 1,000ha, with the acreage of the above varieties rising sharply.
In order to be able to offer a continuous supply to the market, increasing numbers of cherry growers are also opting for protected cherry cultivation, including irrigation systems and covers to shield the fruit from rain.
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