The first cherries have already been picked: the cherry harvest has begun in Franconian Switzerland. Now the weather still has to play along well.
Forchheim (dpa / lby) - Now it's slowly starting: In Franconian Switzerland, the fruit growers have already picked their first cherries. The first goods had been delivered to the cooperatives, said Elias Schmitt from the fruit information center in the Forchheim district. He expects an "average harvest". In the spring, the cherry trees were largely spared from late frosts.
And what kind of weather are the fruit growers in Franconian Switzerland hoping for until all the cherry trees have been harvested? "We need a little warmer temperatures," said the expert. A lot of rain is tricky - because then the cherries threaten to burst.
The cherry season in Franconian Switzerland lasts until the beginning of August, as Schmitt explained. Finally, the late varieties such as Regina would be picked and marketed. Due to the different altitudes of the cultivation area, the harvest time lasts so long because the harvest takes place at different times depending on the altitude.
The majority of the cherries that are picked in the triangle between Nuremberg, Forchheim and Bayreuth are marketed by the fruit farmers through cooperatives. But direct marketing also plays a role, said Schmitt. Especially on the weekends, there are many stalls in Franconian Switzerland where cherries and other regional fruit are sold.
The region is one of the largest contiguous cherry-growing areas in Europe with more than 250,000 cherry trees on 25 square kilometers. Because fruit growing is considered to be weather-sensitive, the harvest volumes vary greatly from year to year.
