Argentina launches pilot harvest of extra-early cherries in Jujuy

Argentina has reached a new milestone in fruit production with the first harvest of extra-early fresh cherries for the 2025 season, carried out on September 30 (Week 40) in a trial orchard located in the temperate valley of Jujuy.

The pilot programme, led by an Argentine fruit company in collaboration with a local grower and researchers from the National University of Jujuy, aims to establish the province as a new early-harvest zone for stone fruit. The experimental block, comprising 2,000 trees of six cultivars planted between 2022 and 2023, confirmed the strong potential of extra-early varieties. Among them, the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee cultivars (developed by the Zaiger breeding programme) achieved notable results, with sugar levels between 25 and 29 °Brix, firm crisp texture, deep colour, and average sizes of 22–24 mm.

Favourable local conditions — short, mild winters, rapid thermal accumulation after dormancy, low humidity, and high solar radiation — make such early production possible. Harvesting in Week 40 for the second consecutive year places Jujuy on the same schedule as the earliest producing areas of northeastern South Africa and 15–20 days ahead of traditional early regions such as Mendoza in Argentina and Coquimbo in Chile.

According to project coordinators, this achievement highlights Jujuy’s strategic potential to supply high-quality cherries to both domestic and international markets during a unique marketing window. The initiative also opens the door to testing new low-chill varieties from international breeding programmes, reinforcing Jujuy’s emerging role in Argentina’s evolving stone fruit sector.

source: frutasdechile.cl

photo: 21food.com