With California cherry growers dealing with damage from rains, Northwest shippers are preparing for a favorable start to the season in mid-June.
Fruit sizing, quality and the timing of the harvest (June 12), should coordinate nicely for July Fourth holiday sales, Steve Castleman, vice president of sales at CMI Orchards, Wenatchee, Wash., said in a news release.
“At one point, it was looking like the majority of our crop was going to come off the trees in a three- to four-week period,” Castleman said in the release. “Now it’s looking like early districts have advanced, which has created more separation, so we won’t see as much congestion as we initially thought.”
The peak promotion period will be June 23-July 25, he said.
Northwest cherry promotions are especially important this season, George Harter, vice president of marketing at CMI Orchards, said in the release, referring to weather-related production drops in California.
“Retailers only have a few months to capture cherry sales, and many retailers are going to be looking to the Northwest crop to maximize cherry results for the season,” Harter said in the release. “We’re ready to get to work and help line up some great promotions with our retail partners.”
CMI released an updated crop report on the Northwest cherry season.
Related articles:
