While cherries symbolized the people’s freedom during the French Revolution, in Greece in 2025, they have become a sign of frustration and disparity. This is no exaggeration, given that the price per kilogram starts at 4 euros in the fields and skyrockets to 22 euros on store shelves. So, is the outrage over cherry prices warranted?
The reasons behind this situation stem from unfavorable weather conditions and inflation. This year marks one of the worst cherry harvests, with not only reduced quantities but also soaring costs of storage, maintenance, sorting, and transportation. Many argue that these factors, combined with limited supply, justify the price inflation of over 400% from field to store.
Weather Conditions
Farmers at local markets explain to dissatisfied customers that the prices they see—around 7 euros at farmers’ markets, 16-18 euros in grocery stores, and up to 22 euros on some Greek islands—are reasonable given the circumstances. They emphasize that securing cherries for sale is fortunate this year, as climate change has severely disrupted traditional growing patterns.
Whereas growers were busy harvesting during this time last year, many are merely clearing their fields this season. Some regions report complete crop failure, while others face minimal yields that struggle to cover production costs. In Greece’s primary cherry-producing area, Pella, farmers are experiencing historic losses. Current production estimates indicate a drop of 10% compared to previous years, impacting mountainous varieties as well.
In ideal conditions, harvesting would be profitable even from trees yielding only 4 kg, but current circumstances make it unfeasible. In regions providing 75% of Greece’s cherries, farmers have reported the worst harvest since 2000 due to severe frost damage from March, leading to almost no yield at all. Consequently, domestic cherries have become quite expensive, with store prices appearing exorbitant for average consumers.
This year, the Sperchio Valley anticipates production at just one-third of a typical year’s output, largely due to damage from spring frost and rainy conditions during peak harvest. Last year’s deluge destroyed 90% of the production in Vermio, while Kaimaktsalan producers await compensation from ELGA. One grower from Rodochori in Imathia notes, “In 40 years of cherry farming, I’ve never seen such extensive damage. Fields have zero production. All varieties have suffered from spring frosts, compounded by damage from April rains.”
A grower from Agia, Larissa, states, “The weather has wreaked havoc this year. March frost destroyed 60%-70% of our yield.” Farola, in the region of Riga, Italy, has reported the only successful harvest. To illustrate the devastation: when a cherry tree once produced 100 kilos but now yields only 15 kilos, the high price of these cherries cannot be deemed unreasonable when factoring in expensive labor, supplies, and transport essentials.
Overall, cherry production is expected to reach 67,750 tonnes, a 34% increase from 2024. Nonetheless, areas like Pella and Emathia have reported damages exceeding 70%, with many growers stating this is the worst season since 2003. Why the disparity? March frost, with temperatures plummeting to 7°C during flowering, severely harmed production. Moreover, alternating rain and sunshine led to fruit splitting, rendering it unsellable. Production costs have also surged, now ranging from €5 to €6 per kilo—up from last year’s €1.60 to €2.80!
“Patience,” some suggest, looking to next year, yet hopes for this year dwindle. Farmers describe destruction estimates reaching 120%, with buds and flowers lost, jeopardizing next year’s output. “Some veteran growers express they’ve never witnessed such poor growth,” remarks Petros Tzavellas, an Edessa cherry grower.
Underlying Causes
While producer prices have more than doubled, this increase cannot solely justify the over 400% rise in prices from the field to grocery store. The substantial gap between production and retail prices originates from several factors along the supply chain, resulting from compounded costs and risks rather than excessive profits at a single stage.
With up to 70% of this year’s production diminished in certain regions, low supply is pushing prices up. Even if producers sell cherries for 5-6 euros per kilo, the retail price often soars to 9-12 euros, as the scarcity transforms them into a luxury product.
Transportation also plays a role. The journey from tree to shelf is complex: from producers to distributors to wholesalers and finally to supermarkets or local stores. Each segment bears operational costs, potential losses, and spoilage risks. Given cherries’ perishability and short shelf life, they necessitate prompt refrigeration and immediate distribution post-harvest. Nevertheless, cherries face a high rejection rate, with 20%-30% often discarded before reaching consumers. Many are also downgraded due to aesthetic criteria, compounding their scarcity and expense. All these risks inflate the final price.
Supermarkets typically mark up fresh produce by 30%-70%, especially on rarer items. Exceptional cherries are often treated like delicacies due to this supply-demand dynamic.
Exports also contribute; many high-quality cherries are shipped abroad (primarily to Italy, Germany, and France) for better prices. As a result, less remains for the domestic market, raising prices further. Producers assert that the stark divide between producer and retail prices arises from an interplay of weather-related shortages, sorting waste, transportation risks, the multi-tiered trading system, and consumer perceptions of luxury goods. Unless there’s a direct link between producers and consumers—such as cooperatives or local markets—this gap will likely persist, especially for sensitive and seasonal products like cherries.
Canceled Celebration
The widespread destruction of cherry crops has forced Ayasos on Lesbos, renowned for its cherries, to cancel its traditional cherry festival this year due to insufficient harvest. Successive weather disasters—frost, hail, and heavy rains—have devastated local orchards.
One producer explains that last year’s harvest was 8 tonnes, but this year’s yield might not hit 100 kg. Consequently, this year’s 7th cherry festival in Agiasso has been scrapped, and frustrated producers claim that ELGA’s compensation of just 75 euros for 450 cherry trees falls significantly short, prompting contemplation of abandoning cherry farming altogether. These increasingly common weather-related disasters make such decisions likely.
Farmers from Agia protested with their tractors last Tuesday, demanding overdue compensation for 2024 losses in cherries, chestnuts, and apples. They estimated more than 70%-80% loss in early cherry production this year due to frost damage.
Five Fascinating Cherry Facts
1. Cherries Symbolized Freedom in the French Revolution:
During the revolution, cherry trees were planted in squares to represent rebirth and liberation from the monarchy, serving as a symbol of life amidst bloodshed.
2. Cherries Work as Natural Brain Sedatives:
Rich in melatonin, especially Montmorency cherries, they can be a natural alternative to sleep medications or aids for jet lag.
3. Maraschino Cherries Aren’t Real Cherries:
The cherry used in cocktails is typically bleached white cherries, infused with syrup and dyed, containing more sugar than candy.
4. Cherries Have a Larger Genome Than Humans:
The genome of the Prunus avium cherry consists of about 352 million base pairs, more complex with repetitive genes, and serves as a crucial model for biological cloning studies.
5. A Blizzard Can Decimate a Cherry Crop in Minutes:
As cherries swell with juice pre-harvest, heavy rains can trap moisture in the skin, resulting in vertical splits and making the fruit unmarketable. Farmers in some regions insure their cherry crops against rain damage.
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