The 2025 export season for fresh sweet cherries from Uzbekistan is expected to be significantly shorter than in previous years, with market participants forecasting its conclusion between June 15 and 20. According to experts at EastFruit, this marks an end nearly a month earlier than last year.
Industry sources report that, over the past week, shipments of fresh cherries from Uzbekistan to international markets have become sporadic. Meanwhile, the domestic market now has very limited volumes available for export. Preliminary estimates suggest this year's export window will last only 1 to 1.5 months—nearly half last year's season. For comparison, Uzbekistan's cherry export season in 2024 spanned over two months, from early May to mid-July, according to EastFruit analysts.
Farrukh Abdukhalimov, a representative of the Spanish breeding company PSB Produccion Vegetal in Uzbekistan, highlights two key reasons behind the shortened season:
"Firstly, the harvest shifted to earlier dates this year. In late April and early May, Uzbekistan experienced abnormally high temperatures for the season, which significantly accelerated the ripening of stone fruits, including sweet cherries. Although the timing shift varied among early-, mid-, and late-ripening varieties, it ultimately affected all cherry types.
Secondly, due to exceptionally high demand for Uzbek cherries on international markets, the post-harvest cold storage period was notably shorter than in previous years. In most commercial orchards, cherry crops had already been contracted for export before harvesting even began. As a result, shipments were made shortly after the fruit was picked."
By contrast, in the second half of June last year, sizable volumes of export-grade cherries were still available in cold storage. This year, such reserves are nearly nonexistent.
Abdukhalimov adds that the harvest of late-ripening cherry varieties in Uzbekistan will conclude by mid-June, with the export season likely ending around June 15–20.
Source: EastFruit