German fruit growers have reported a robust cherry harvest for the summer of 2025. According to final estimates released Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), a total of 47,100 metric tons of cherries were harvested. This breakdown comprises 79% sweet cherries (37,300 tons) and 21% sour cherries (9,800 tons).
The 2025 harvest represents a 4.2% increase compared to the ten-year average of 45,200 tons spanning 2015-2024. Furthermore, production is significantly higher than the 35,400 tons harvested in 35,400 tons last year, representing an increase of approximately 11,700 tons, or a 33.1% rise.
The final estimate for sweet cherry production reached 37,300 tons, a substantial 9,400 tons (33.6%) above the considerably lower yield impacted by weather conditions in 2024. Compared to the ten-year average of 32,900 tons, fruit growers experienced a gain of 4,400 tons, or 13.3%. The favorable sweet cherry harvest benefited from mild weather during pollination and a lack of frost or hailstorm damage across most growing regions.
Sweet cherries are cultivated on 5,700 hectares within Germany. Baden-Württemberg is the leading state, accounting for 2,600 hectares. It contributes significantly to the national production, yielding 17,600 tons, representing 47% of the total German sweet cherry harvest. Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) follows with 5,000 tons produced on 480 hectares. Although Rhineland-Palatinate (660 hectares) and Bavaria (540 hectares) possess larger sweet cherry cultivation areas, their respective harvest volumes were lower at 3,700 and 1,800 tons, respectively.
While Baden-Württemberg’s sweet cherry harvest was marginally lower this year (250 tons, or 1%) compared to last year, Niedersachsen, Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria experienced significant increases – 2,000 tons (+67%), +76% and +30% respectively. These regional disparities are attributable to the exceptionally high yields realized by Baden-Württemberg’s fruit growers in 2024, contrasting with weather-related production losses in other regions last year.
The final estimate for sour cherry production reached 9,800 tons, exceeding the exceptionally weather-dependent low yield of 7,500 tons in 2024 by 31.3%. While an initial preliminary estimate in June projected 11,700 tons, nearly reaching the ten-year average of 12,300 tons, the final yield ultimately fell 20% below that mark. Beyond weather influences, the reduced harvest is also linked to a decrease in cultivated area, from 2,000 hectares to 1,500 hectares (-25%) for sour cherries.
Rhineland-Palatinate leads in sour cherry cultivation area with 460 hectares, followed by Saxony (300 hectares) and Baden-Württemberg (240 hectares). Rhineland-Palatinate achieved the highest volume of production at 2,700 tons (+40% compared to last year), followed by Thuringia (1,900 tons, +179%) and Saxony (1,800 tons, a staggering +1249%). These changes highlight the exceptionally low-yielding 2024 growing season, notably impacting sour cherry and other fruit production in several eastern German states, where regional crop failures occurred last year.
