Sweet cherries from the end of the world: options and constraints for fruit production systems in South Patagonia, Argentina

The main objective of this study is to assess constraints and opportunities for fruit production systems in South Patagonia (Chubut and Santa Cruz Provinces, Argentina). Emphasis is on sweet cherry, because this is currently the most important fruit-tree crop, while at the same time many important aspects, such as yield and quality potential, and frost damage risk, are poorly understood. Other fruit-tree crops have to be analyzed as well, because, although cherry production has positive effects through generating income and job opportunities, labour demand is highly seasonal and labour supply (in quantity and at acceptable quality level) is an important restriction. Moreover, under the present mono-cropping system, facilities and machinery, knowledge on logistics and marketing channels, are under-utilized...