Bumper Australian cherry crop forecast

Australia is on track to harvest a record cherry crop of up to 18,000 tonnes, an industry expert says.

But it won't only be Australians looking for somewhere to put the stones, with about 40 per cent of the haul marked for export during the 2014/15 summer.

Of the 30 countries that buy Australian cherries, major markets for the popular red fruit include Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, with China alone expected to take up to 400 tonnes, said researcher Penny Measham from the University of Tasmania.

"More than 40 (Australian) cherry orchardists have been registered to export cherries this season, which is the largest number to ever be registered," Dr Measham said.

Growing international demand for the fruit has coincided with changes to export requirements and a joint venture involving Cherry Growers Australia has helped prepare farmers for the change.

In 2013/14 Australia produced 10,000 tonnes of cherries.