Argentine cherries kick off the season with good quality and an emphasis on the domestic market

Written and reported by Macarena Bravo | Lee esta noticia en Español

The 2025 season for Argentine cherries has officially begun. Aníbal Caminiti, general manager at the Argentine Chamber of Integrated Cherry Producers, told FreshFruitPortal.com that the Andean country’s first harvests come from Mendoza and are being allocated to the domestic market. Meanwhile, harvest from the producing regions of Río Negro and Neuquén is expected to start in the coming weeks.

"In Argentina, the beginning of the season is always capitalized on the domestic market because it offers very good returns," he said. 

The first crops, Cantini said, include early varieties from the Royal line, such as Royal Lee. Others, like Nimba and Pacific Red, are intended for the first international shipments.

According to the executive, the Mendoza province accounts for the largest Argentine cherry production area in the country. However, it exports only 10 percent of its total volume. 

"It is a province that historically supplies the domestic market,” he explains. “Furthermore, the earliest cherries come from areas that are not fruit fly-free, which means they cannot be exported to China. Even so, they achieve better prices locally, with lower costs."

High expectations for Argentine cherries

Harvest is three to four days ahead compared to 2024, said Caminiti. When asked about the quality and condition of the fruit, the executive indicated that the first harvests show very good results.

"The early varieties had excellent weather. The necessary chilling hours were met, but the way they accumulated [the chilling hours] was not optimal. This generates some heterogeneity in the central and southern regions of the country, he explained."

Caminiti specified that the regions of Río Negro and Neuquén could register a slight decrease compared to the last campaign. Meanwhile, in Chubut, production remains strong, albeit with some frost damage in specific sectors.

Season challenges

Each region faces different realities, but the executive was adamant about the industry's greatest challenge, regardless of geography—maintaining quality amid increased Chilean supply in international markets.

"The European market is very sensitive to oversupply, and Chile continues to increase its volume,” Caminiti explained. “That is why Argentina must bet on differentiation and work in high-value niches."

He pointed out that, unlike its neighbor to the west, Argentine cherry production is on the smaller end of the spectrum. That is not a drawback. 

"All of our producers are integrated—they produce, pack, and export. This allows us to control quality from the field to the final customer," he says.

He added that Argentine cherry exports mainly travel by air, giving the industry greater flexibility to serve small markets out of Chile’s reach.

Finally, Caminiti highlighted the dynamic nature of the cherry business: "No two seasons are alike. Each year presents new challenges, both agronomic and market-related. This dynamic is what makes this business exciting."

*All images courtesy of Argentine Chamber of Integrated Cherry Producers

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