According to a news report [3] by South American agricultural media outlet Redagricola, on Sept. 30 (week 40), a trial cherry orchard located in northwestern Argentina’s Jujuy province began its harvest.

Between 2022 and 2023, the trial orchard planted 2,000 cherry trees across six varieties. The project is led by Güizzo Frutas Frescas SA, in collaboration with producer Oscar Machuca and Dr. Viviana Curzel, professor and researcher at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the National University of Jujuy.

This year marks the orchard’s second fruiting season, with the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee varieties showing exceptional performance. The cherries reportedly reached Brix values of 25–29 degrees with an average fruit diameter of 22–24 millimeters and featured bright, uniform skin, firm flesh and a crisp texture.

Fernando Güizzo, manager of Güizzo Frutas Frescas SA, said that the Jujuy region benefits from favorable climatic conditions, with ample summer rainfall and sufficient chill accumulation during dormancy. Combined with effective technical management, this has enabled the region to harvest fresh cherries in week 40 for two consecutive years, a timing similar to the cherry harvest season in northeastern South Africa and 15–20 days earlier than those in Mendoza, Argentina, and Coquimbo, Chile.

Nicolás Güizzo, the company’s technical manager, noted that being able to deliver high-quality cherries [4] by the end of September provides a strategic advantage. He emphasized that this timing represents a significant business opportunity for both the domestic Argentine market and future exports. However, he also added that because the region lies on the margins of traditional cherry-growing areas, each season presents challenges that must be addressed.

Curzel explained that the region has a history of over 40 years in cultivating early and extra-early peach, nectarine and plum varieties. She noted that the original varieties were sourced from other provinces in Argentina and from abroad, but now the research team has developed local cultivars. She added that for the past 25 years they have been focusing on breeding stone fruit varieties with low or ultra-low chill requirements, with harvests starting in September and continuing through late November.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article [5].