Uzbekistan’s cherry season kicked off early in 2025, with the first wholesale batches of the fruit arriving at least a week ahead of the typical schedule, EastFruit reported. This marks one of the earliest starts in the past five years.
As of May 23, the average wholesale price of fresh cherries had reached UZS 17,000 ($1.32) per kilogram, representing a 70% increase compared to the same period last year.
In previous years, the season typically began in late May, with prices averaging UZS 8,000 ($0.70) in 2023 and UZS 10,000 ($0.95) in 2021.
Despite stable harvest volumes comparable to recent years, prices have surged due to strong international demand. Market participants point to heightened interest from Russian and Belarusian buyers, with growing attention from European markets as well.
Notably, a Serbian business delegation arrived in Uzbekistan on May 19 to explore cherry and apricot import opportunities.
The early harvest has been attributed to unusual weather conditions in eastern Uzbekistan during the spring of 2024. These anomalies caused late cherry varieties to ripen earlier and led to a shortened growing season.
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