Cherry Production by Country 2024

Cherries, with their diverse varieties and uses, form a fascinating part of global agriculture and cuisine. Here's an organized overview of the cherry industry:

Diversity and Types:

• There are over 1,200 cherry types worldwide, offering a range from intensely sweet to distinctly tart flavors.
• Their colors vary from deep red to yellow and almost white.
• Cherries can be enjoyed raw, in foods like pies, or in beverages such as wines and ciders.

Growing Regions:

• Cherries grow wild in Europe, Asia, and the U.S., and are also cultivated on farms, sometimes for specific strains desired by candy manufacturers.
• In the U.S., the West predominantly grows sweeter varieties, while the Midwest is known for more tart cherries.

Global Production:

• The global cherry harvest reached 2.73 million metric tons in 2021, up from 1.9 million metric tons in 2000.
• Turkey and the United States are the top cherry producers globally, with Turkey contributing 22% of the total production (689,834 metric tons) and the U.S. producing 343,190 metric tons.
• Other significant producers include Chile (325,049 metric tons), Uzbekistan (213,600 metric tons), and Iran (156,134 metric tons).

United States Production:

• Washington state leads in U.S. cherry production, specializing in sweeter varieties like Bing, Lambert, Rainier, and Van.
• Traverse City, Michigan, claims the title of “Cherry Capitol of the World,” a nod to its long history of cherry cultivation dating back to the 1850s.
• Michigan's suitability for cherry growing is attributed to its soil and the climatic influence of the Great Lakes.
• Traverse City hosts the country's first cherry processing facility and celebrates this heritage with the annual National Cherry Festival in July.

Consumption Trends:

• American cherry consumption has increased significantly, growing 400% from 1995 to 2008, rising from 0.3 pound per capita to 1.3 pounds.

This detailed look at the cherry industry showcases the fruit's cultural and economic significance, from varied cultivation practices to evolving consumer trends.