In Manisa, the first cherry harvest of the season has been completed. Cherries sold for 3,500 TL per kilogram are being exported to European countries, especially Russia. Described as the red gold of Manisa, the early cherries were harvested in Sancaklıbozköy Mahallesi. Farmers picked their cherries with great effort in the early hours of the morning. Manisa Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Director Metin Öztürk stated that with 46 thousand tons of cherry production, they rank second in Turkey. He mentioned, “We are completing the first cherry harvest in the Northern Hemisphere on April 13. The agricultural frost disasters we have experienced have deeply saddened both our farmers nationwide and us as the ministry.” He also added, “We are first in cherry production worldwide, but second in exports. This makes us very happy. We export mainly to Russia, Italy, Poland, and other European countries.” Cherries of the Burlent variety, weighing 45 kilograms and harvested from the orchard of 4 producers, were brought to the cherry market. They were sold in an auction held at the ceremony. Manisa Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Director Metin Öztürk started the auction with a bid of 1000 TL, and the price of the first cherry of the Northern Hemisphere rose to 3,200 TL per kilogram. The President of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Association, Hayrettin Uçak, finally set the price at 3,500 TL.