Geographically Indicated Sour Cherry Harvest Begins in Çubuk
· GıdaTarım
The harvest season for geographically indicated sour cherries has commenced in Ankara's Çubuk district. Recovering from adverse climate conditions, the yield is being delivered to market stalls, primarily in major metropolitan areas.
Harvest Season Begins for Çubuk Sour Cherries
The harvest of geographically indicated sour cherries has officially begun in Kuruçay Neighborhood, Çubuk district of Ankara. Production areas, which were established with 2 sour cherry trees in the 1950s and expanded with grant sapling support from the Çubuk District Agriculture Directorate, now cater to a large market. Although the impact of past frost disasters is still partially felt, producers are crating their products with a collection capacity reaching up to 20 tons per season, delivering them to numerous cities, primarily the wholesale markets of Ankara and Istanbul.
Climate Conditions Are Recovering the Yield
Evaluating the production conditions in the region, Sour Cherry Producer Onur İlhan described the process as follows:
"This season is going quite well. The yields are a bit below what we hoped for, but still good. It's much better than last year. Since there was frost last year, it's a bit better this year. The climate this year is very good compared to last year. We have plenty of rainfall, plenty of water. Everything is abundant this year."
İlhan also emphasized that the region's unique microclimate, soil structure, and proper pruning and pest control techniques directly enhance the quality of Çubuk sour cherries.