"Cherries enjoy excellent growing conditions in north west of the US"

"In Mexico we do not have the right climate to grow cherries. Yes, there is a small cherry production in Mexico, of about 10,000 5 kilo boxes, but this is not a lot compared to the north western United States, which produces 20 million boxes, and California, which can produce between 5 and 10 million boxes," explains Moreira.

According to Moreira, cherries produced in the north western states of the US, such as Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon, have excellent growing conditions. Also, the region has the necessary infrastructure to sort them by size and quality, allowing them to sell them in different markets.

The Mexican cherry market is growing. "Mexican consumers are now familiar with cherries. It has taken 5 to 7 years to develop this market. In 2015, we imported some 230,000 boxes of cherries from the north west, while in the previous year, Mexico imported about 130,000 boxes. In previous years, this figure fluctuated between 70,000 and 120,000 boxes," estimates Moreira, and expects the trend to continue over the coming years.

However, he acknowledges that nothing is certain. "It is a sensitive product that can be affected by the weather conditions. Its availability depends on this factor, but right now we believe it will be a normal season. There was some rain a few weeks ago which did not affect the production. The cherry production in the North West should be good, with sufficient volumes available for Mexico."