During his participation in the third masterclass, “Cherry Production in Perspective: Past Agronomic Advances and Future Technical Challenges,” and later in the second discussion forum, Jordi Casas maintained that the new market landscape is forcing producers to rethink the profitability of their orchards and make decisions that until a few years ago seemed unthinkable. “The market situation for cherries isn’t going to change. The prices we’re seeing are likely to remain the same. Therefore, if an orchard isn’t profitable under these circumstances, the decision must be made to remove it,” he stated.
The agronomist explained that this decision must be based on objective indicators, considering costs, income, and productivity, as well as the financial status of each project. “The most important thing is to have the orchard’s information and base the decision on real numbers,” he emphasized.
Regarding the varietal landscape, the specialist noted that the industry will continue to rely primarily on Santina and Lapins, varieties that, in his opinion, continue to offer stable production and good fruit size. Meanwhile, Regina will continue to play a significant role in late harvests, although he acknowledged that it now faces greater scrutiny due to the results obtained in some production areas.
Regarding the growing interest in new varieties, Jordi Casas urged caution: “We don’t truly know a variety until ten years of work have passed. Its agronomic performance, commercial acceptance, and resistance to various disorders must be evaluated before widespread adoption.”
In this context, he maintained that the incorporation of new materials should be gradual and supported by producers with a greater capacity to assume the risk involved in validating genetics under commercial conditions.
The specialist’s reflections reinforced one of the main points of consensus from CherryTech 2026: the new stage of the cherry industry will be marked by more technical decisions, greater efficiency, and data-driven management to sustain the profitability of projects.
You can read the full interview here.