Records broken during Tasmania's cherry export season

More than 2740 tonnes of Tasmanian cherries, worth in excess of $70 million, were exported during the 2025-26 season.

By value, it was the highest on record, while on volume, it was 31 per cent up on last year.

Fruit Growers Tasmania CEO Peter Cornish said that while it was a challenging start to the season for growers, with a cool spring and early summer leading to late fruit ripening, this also resulted in a later harvest and the end of the season, coinciding with the late Lunar New Year.

“I think this year the stars aligned for most of our growers,” Mr Cornish said.

“Not only did Tasmania’s late season work well with the late Lunar New Year period, but the fruit quality was also excellent.

“Our southern hemisphere competitors struggled to put cherries into the Asian market in February, leading to less competition overall.

“What was particularly pleasing was that both volume and unit pricing increased this season, showing that Tasmania’s exceptional quality continues to be rewarded in export markets.”

While 18 regions receive cherries from the state, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and Vietnam account for more than 70 per cent of Tasmania’s total export volume.

Hong Kong regained the number one destination for Tasmanian cherries, with trade to China growing 168 per cent in the year.

Tasmanian Cherries owner and Fruit Grower Tasmania President Nic Hansen said the recent season was a success.

“I’m delighted with the results from our cherry export season, which are nothing short of what our dedicated growers deserve.

“So often events take place beyond their control which have a detrimental impact on profitability, the current fuel crisis being a case in point.

“Overall, the fact that Tasmanian cherries represented 61 per cent of the value of national cherry exports underlines the strength of the Tasmanian industry. It is an excellent result and a much-needed boost to Tasmanian cherry growers as we continue to focus on how to remain competitive in this high-cost pressure environment.”

Around 60 per cent of Tasmanian cherries are sold within Australia.