As with the previous season, this year's cherry harvest in British Columbia got off to an early start. For the regions that have begun picking, production has been light, though steadier volumes are expected in the coming weeks.
“The season hasn't hit its stride yet,” said Graem Nelson with Graem Nelson Associates. “The southern areas will have a light crop, but the middle areas will probably have a heavy crop.” All together, he believes this year's production will fall between 1.5 and 2.0 million boxes of cherries. That would be less than what was harvested and shipped last season, and he thinks unusual weather this spring is one of the reasons for that.
“We had intense heat in April while the trees were in bloom,” he explained. “For trees at a certain stage of development, the heat cooked the blooms and those trees didn't get pollinated.”
Quality has been good so far, with firm fruit and good sugars, and Nelson believes the region's smaller grower operations help protect that quality. The domestic market has been paying well, though exports face competition from U.S. fruit.
“The export market for this time of year is restricted to Asia, and they're flooded with American fruit right now,” said Nelson. “They start before we do, and it's hard to break in once they get their pattern established.”
For more information:
Graem Nelson
Graem Nelson Associates
+1 250 276 4849