Cherries

There are 3 cherry production areas in South Australia. The major one is the Mount Lofty Ranges (commonly referred to as the “Adelaide Hills”). The other 2 are located in the Riverland region and the South East of South Australia.

The “Adelaide Hills” is the most significant region producing approximately 90-95% of the state’s cherry production. This area is subdivided into several smaller areas which have all developed to take advantage of specific microclimate and maturity niches. Although geographically small in area the maturity times within the Adelaide Hills can vary by up to 2-3 weeks for the same variety. Sub-regions include Montacute (earliest area), Cherryville, Norton Summit, Basket Range, Summertown, Uraidla, Forest Range, Lenswood, Kenton Valley and Gumeracha.

A small area south of the Adelaide hills known as the Fleurieu Peninsula also has a small amount of cherry production. The growers in this area are small and focus on local market sales. The South East region is a relatively new area that focuses on local region sales. The “Riverland” region, to the north east of Adelaide is an early production area focusing on producing early fruit for the eastern states and Western Australian markets.