Sweet cherry harvest in Saxony-Anhalt: record numbers exceed expectations!

Sweet cherry harvest in Saxony-Anhalt: record numbers exceed expectations!

Fruit growing in Germany can look forward to a particularly extensive cherry harvest this year. Numerous reports describe the positive development, which was primarily boosted by the favorable weather conditions. The expected harvest volumes for 2025 show a clear increase compared to previous years.

Across Germany, a harvest of around 49,900 tons is expected, which represents an increase of 41 percent compared to the previous year. Yields are also 10.4 percent above the ten-year average of 45,200 tons. Particularly noteworthy is the sweet cherry harvest, which totals 38,200 tons and exceeds the previous year's figures by almost 37 percent. [Tagesschau] reports that mild weather conditions and the absence of late frosts are responsible for the bountiful harvest this year.

Special harvest in Saxony-Anhalt

An outstanding example of this positive development is Saxony-Anhalt, where the sweet cherry harvest of 22,340 decatons is 45 percent above the ten-year average of 15,436 decatons. This amount represents six times the 2024 harvest, which was severely affected by a late frost. [Gabot] states that 99 percent of the sweet cherries harvested are marketed as table fruit, while only 1 percent goes to the industry.

The sour cherries, on the other hand, fall a little behind. Saxony-Anhalt achieved 2,194 decatons, which corresponds to a decrease compared to previous years. Only 10 percent of the sour cherries were used as table fruit. The remaining 90 percent was used for processing. Nevertheless, Saxony-Anhalt contributes around 6 percent to the overall German sweet cherry harvest and only 2 percent to the sour cherry harvest.

Regional differences and trends

Baden-Württemberg remains the main sweet cherry growing region with a harvest of 18,900 tons, followed by Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate. [Destatis] reports impressive growth in these regions, while the sour cherry harvest in Baden-Württemberg and Saxony is stagnating or even declining. It is noteworthy that Rhineland-Palatinate has the largest area cultivated for sour cherries with 460 hectares.

Overall, it shows that despite the regional differences, the 2025 cherry harvest will deliver one of the best results in years. The good harvest and the demand for fresh cherries not only strengthen local agriculture, but also make it clear that growers in Germany have a good hand for their crops.

How the market situation will develop remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that consumers can expect more choice and quality. Even if sour cherries won't be able to keep up with sweet cherries in 2025, the overall outlook shows a positive direction for agriculture and consumers.