Modern processing plants are considering the purchase of hydrocoolers and sorting lines, and the use of modified atmosphere packaging. This same incentive may prompt growers to evaluate and modify their production techniques to increase the size and quality of their cherries to assure a solid export market. The volatile nature of this market was highlighted last year when a large European crop caused buyers to purchase cherries produced in Europe rather than Turkey. Processors lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Higher quality cherries may guarantee more stable markets.
Education is the key to higher quality.
Fruit processors are turning to scientists to learn better ways of handling cherries to maintain fruit quality. However, helping growers improve production techniques is a bigger problem. Scientists try to share their knowledge with growers by writing newspaper articles and conducting annual tours. It is obvious that Turkey has tremendous potential but also large hurdles to overcome to compete successfully on the world market. The incentive provided by an expanding export market is not only encouraging growers to plant new acres of cherries, but processors to look at new and better ways of handling fruit.