An unprecedented crisis is being experienced by cherry growers in Bulgaria this year. While in Kyustendil all the plantations have been destroyed by the spring frosts, a new threat has appeared in Southwestern Bulgaria - an invasion of Moroccan locusts, which is currently concentrated in the Sandanski region.
"Below minus 2 degrees there is no salvation, the trees are completely frozen", shared fruit grower Petar Domozelkov with NOVA, who has tried various methods to save the harvest, including burning straw in his garden, but without success.
The situation in the fruit plantations of the Institute of Agriculture in the village of Yabalkovo confirms the dire situation - the trees are completely without cherries. According to experts, trees that under normal conditions should now be in the fruiting stage do not have a single bud, which is a direct consequence of the severe spring frost on April 8 and 9.
In the fruit-growing region of Kyustendil, known as the "orchard of Bulgaria", there will be no local cherries this year. This is the second such year in the last three decades in which the crop has been completely destroyed.
Producers agree that Bulgarian consumers will rely primarily on imports, mainly from Chile, Turkey and Greece, which will maintain high cherry prices on the market.
Agricultural experts are urging fruit growers not to overdo watering and fertilizing in their quest to get a harvest. For trees that have survived the cold, excessive care can lead to additional problems in their development.