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Chelan Fresh expects to peak on rainier cherries July 1, with dark sweet cherries peaking around July 14.

Within the broad categories of dark sweet and yellow sweet selections, the quest for improved cherry varieties continues for Northwest growers.

CMI Orchards expects an outstanding year for its Northwest cherry crop, said George Harter, vice president of marketing for the company.

The cherry crop outlook is good, but The Oppenheimer Group experienced some frost damage in its orchards, said Jon Bailey, director of the cherry category for Vancouver, British Columbia-based Oppy.

With supply from both California and the Northwest, Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers will have cherries to sell from May to August.

Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers expects a larger cherry crop this year, said Dan Davis, director of business development for the Yakima, Wash.-based marketer.

In a survey of Northwest cherry shippers, The Packer asked suppliers for their reasons for optimism for the 2021 Northwest cherry season.

Look for a bigger crop of Northwest cherries in 2021 and a nice-sized promotion window for retailers.

Medium and large companies grow Peruvian avocados year-round along the coastal regions of the long South American country, while small farms are nestled in the mountains.

While avocados have been around since before written history, the commercial export of the fruit to the U.S. is relatively new. Here’s a timeline of notable events in the U.S.-Peru avocado relationship.