Food & Climate
Argentine cherry growers are facing a challenging season with severe rain and hailstorms. Production and exports have fallen due to this change in climate. The damaged crop has threatened global food supplies and farmers’ livelihoods.
Eurofruit reported that poor weather caused Argentine cherry shipments in the last quarter of 2025 to hit a low.
Planet protection agency SENASA confirmed that cherry shipments totaled 3,760 tonnes (over 4,100 tons). This is a 38% decrease from last year and 19% below the five-year average.
The “sector [is] on course for its worst season since 2019,” per the report.
Growers projected good-quality crops to exceed last year’s totals, according to a report seen by Food & Climate.
Argentina is not a leading exporter or producer of cherries, but it does have high-quality varieties. Turkey is the world’s top producer of cherries, followed by the United States.
The main producing areas of Argentine cherry are damaged
According to Eurofruit, rain and hailstorms damaged the main producing areas of Argentine cherry. Much of the crop went to the domestic market.
Shifts in export markets are also happening in the 2025/26 season. Despite the drop-in volumes, the U.S. is becoming the top destination (36%), while China’s share fell (26%).
Bad weather in Argentine cherry production indicates how an overheating planet impacts crops. Farming communities and importing countries rely on crops for food and to support their economies.
Frequent extreme weather events, which have been increasing, damage agricultural yields. Financial losses for farmers ensue, jeopardizing their ability to sustain their operations.
Reduced harvests leave consumers with less supply in international markets. Scarcity in fruits such as cherries could also lead to higher prices.
Disrupted food systems, driven by unpredictable weather, foreground a changing climate, according to “The cool down“.
Record prices
Record prices for the first cherries of the season in Argentina in November, driven by limited availability and a demand led by high-spending consumers. The domestic market is becoming increasingly attractive, even compared to exports.
The 2025 Argentine cherry season opened with a sharp price surge, marking a historic record for the domestic market. The first batches arriving from Mendoza reached 45,000 pesos per kilo at retail outlets, fueled by extremely limited supply and a demand sustained by an elite audience willing to pay for quality, according to “Cherry Times“.
According to the Mercado Central de Buenos Aires (MCBA), on October 29, wholesale prices hit 30,400 pesos per kilo, an increase of more than 350% compared to the same period in 2024. The variety currently available is Nimba, “elegido” grade and medium-sized, while last year around this time the Royal Lee variety was sold, also of premium quality but in bulk packaging.
Although varietal differences and packaging types may partially affect comparisons, the price increase remains striking, highlighting a much more dynamic and competitive market.
In the main commercial areas of northern Greater Buenos Aires and the capital, retail prices reached 45,000 pesos per kilo — about 31 USD (around 29 EUR) at the official exchange rate — roughly three times higher than during the same period last year. This trend confirms the rise of Argentine cherries as a premium good in the domestic market.
According to MCBA sources, however, compared to 2024, the margins between wholesale and retail prices have not widened significantly: most of the increase is concentrated in the intermediate supply chain, between wholesalers and retailers.
The average wholesale price, still referring to October 29, stood at 29,600 pesos per kilo, showing a year-on-year spike of over 400%, a clear sign of a still very limited supply of high-quality fruit in the market.