In Romania, the harvest of stone fruits has been nearly completely destroyed due to frost

In Romania, severe frosts lasting five consecutive nights with temperatures dropping to -8°C have resulted in catastrophic losses for stone fruit crops. Popular fruits such as peaches, apricots, plums, and cherries have been affected, reported Bogdan Bayanu, the general director of Cerasus Grup Romania.

This is reported by AgroReview

Scale of losses and implications for the agro-industrial sector

According to Bayanu, temperatures from April 6 to 11 ranged from -5°C at night to a maximum of 3°C during the day, causing unprecedented stress for trees that have never experienced such conditions.

“This has never happened before”.

Estimates indicate that losses for peaches, nectarines, and apricots reach 90–100%. Cherries have been less affected, with losses of 70-80%. This means that in the future, the berries will be larger in size, but their availability will be very limited. Meanwhile, in the northern regions of the country, losses are lower—around 60%—as the orchards are located in less vulnerable areas.

Impact on the market and prospects for producers

The company Cerasus Grup Romania supplies cherries to Romanian supermarkets and exports them to Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium. A portion of the harvest is processed. Bogdan Bayanu emphasizes that the company represents the interests of other producers and intends to accept their harvest, sort it properly, and find suitable markets. According to him, the demand for cherries remains steady regardless of the harvest volumes.

He also warned that many farms are on the brink of bankruptcy due to the extensive losses. Bayanu stated that without government support, such as loans or subsidies, they simply will not be able to survive this season and will face significant challenges in staying afloat.