British Columbia (B.C.) cherries still need to go through June drop, but up until now, all indicators point towards a promising season. "We didn't have any unusually cold weather in winter and when spring came, we had perfect weather for pollination," says Julie McLachlan with Jealous Fruits. So far, the weather has continued to cooperate. "Temperatures for cell division were perfect, and we are very, very pleased with what we're seeing hanging on the trees," she added.
After a number of challenging years, the B.C. cherry industry is cautiously optimistic about the 2025 crop. Jealous Fruits, one of the latest cherry growers in North America, expects to start harvest with light volumes early July, followed by the main harvest, beginning with Lapin, Kordia and Regina varieties around mid-July. Staccato, the company's single largest variety - along with its siblings Sentennial and Sovereign - will mostly be harvested from the last days of July on the earliest sites, right through the beginning of September at the company's higher elevation and more northerly sites.
© Jealous Fruits
Photo of B.C. cherries taken last week.
August window
This year, Jealous Fruits expects 75 percent of their crop to be harvested in the August window, coinciding with the wind down and wrap up of many Washington districts. "We are excited the majority of our fruit will be harvested in August," commented McLachlan. For domestic retailers as well as overseas customers, there ought to be good promotable volume available into September.
While the 2025 Pacific Northwest supply is expected to be significant, bloom dates from the earliest to latest districts were spread over a month this past spring. This spread in bloom dates means a similar spread in harvest dates, with industry forecasts calling for a continuous steady supply from mid-June through until early August, before beginning to ramp down. "This type of steady supply bodes well in that cherries can be harvested, packed and shipped on a steady basis, benefiting growers, retailers and consumers alike." McLachlan is particularly pleased to see that the Jealous Fruits' crop load is balanced. "We're not over-cropped and we aren't under-cropped either," she said.
Strong demand
Jealous Fruits is excited to once again be able to support their key retail partners worldwide with the high-quality fruit they have become known for. Moreover, the promising start to the season aligns with a lot of maturing acreage coming into production, with much of the new acreage on late sites. McLachlan expects Jealous will be shipping into USA and Canadian markets until after Labor Day, while offshore markets will see their arrivals into the second or third week of September.
© Jealous FruitsUltra-late variety.
Ultra-late varieties
With strategic cherry plantings between 50 and 51 degrees north, and with many sites also located above 2,000 feet in elevation, the company has long made a specialty out of supplying the late August market. "Being one of the latest growers in North America is something we want to take advantage of, and we are excited to share that we are now building on this success with new genetics." said McLachlan. The company has planted two new ultra-late varieties out of the Canadian breeding program and the first commercial crops will be available this season. Equally exciting, Jealous is now also licensed to plant several cultivars originating from European breeders, with a focus on ultra late season cherries as well. The European genetics are producing test amounts in 2025 and will be commercially available from Jealous starting in 2026 /2027. McLachlan expects future harvests of these new genetics will extend availability 12 to 14 days after Staccato. This means harvest dates between September 1 and 15, featuring high-sugar, crunchy fruit. "We are excited that within a very few years, we can contemplate Labour Day ads in North America, and availability of sea shipments arriving into Asian markets for much of October. Stay tuned for future updates," McLachlan concluded.
For more information:
Julie McLachlan
Jealous Fruits
Tel: +1 (250) 766-0738 ext. 204
Cell: +1 250 801 2701
[email protected]
www.jealousfruits.com
