Overview

Lebanon is considered one of the major producers of sweet cherries in the Mediterranean region. Cherries are a native Lebanese crop. The country is doted by exceptional conditions for cherry production. Cultivated between 900 and 2000 meters at altitude, the cherries develop a distinguished flavour, colour and texture.

At the moment there are 32 cherry farms GlobalGAP certified.

Varieties

80% of Lebanese cherries are grown in the Bekaa and include local cherry varieties Feraouni and Moukahal. Other main varieties are Benni and Ferrovia, Lapins, Noire de Meched and Sweetheart.

Production

The production area under cherries went down by 15% between 2015 and 2020 to some 4,363 ha, while production increased by 25% to almost 33,646 tons in 2020.*

Export

Lebanon’s export of cherries (excluding sour cherries) has seen a gradual upward trend in the past 7 years. In 2015 it reached USD 2 million and in 2021 it more than doubled to reach USD 4.5 million. The upward trend is expected to continue.**

Destinations

The main destinations for exports of cherries are Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and Russia.

Availability

* Production data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2022
** Trade data from Trade Map – International Trade Centre, 2022