Growers and shippers of British Columbia cherries are very excited they finally have a strong crop to share with retailers and consumers in North America and far beyond. The region hasn't seen a full crop since 2018, and this year is expected to break all previous records. "A lot of new acreage has come into production in the past seven years, and this will be the first time we've seen it all with a good crop," says Richard Isaacs with Global Fruit. The company works with more than 30 growers, selling and marketing almost 2,000 acres of cherries in the Canadian province.
Long sales window
"This year, we should be in the position to support retailers in finishing the cherry category strong," said Isaacs. California has a short crop and as a result, year-on-year, retailers are behind in cherry sales compared to last year. "However, we will be able to help them recover on dollar sales." British Columbia's season is one of the latest in the northern hemisphere and fruit will be picked through August, perhaps even early September. "Our customers in North America will have continuous supply until mid-September and we are expecting overseas arrivals until the end of September, providing a long sales window."
Fruit-to-leaf ratio
This year's full crop is the result of favorable weather conditions. Winter didn't do any damage to the buds and when spring followed, the conditions for pollination were perfect. "We were afraid the crop might overset because the number of flowers on each tree was more than we had ever seen before," Isaacs commented. However, Mother Nature balanced things out nicely, with Global Fruit's orchards now showing a perfect fruit-to-leaf ratio. "This makes us feel confident about the quality of the fruit. It truly is the season we've all been waiting for, and we look forward to showing our partners around the world why British Columbia is such a special place to grow cherries."
Transition to the southern hemisphere
After North America's season finishes, there will only be a short gap before Chile's cherry season starts up. By mid-October the first airfreight cherries will be available. For the past four years, Global Fruit has been bringing cherries from Chile and Argentina to retailers in Asia, Europe and North America. "We've had great success in the past few years with our unique business model focusing on quality first, so we will definitely be increasing our volumes in early season Chilean and late season Argentinean cherries this upcoming season." Programs from both countries run simultaneously, launching the southern hemisphere season with airfreight and then moving to ocean freight. Los Antiguos in Argentina closes the season with fruit arriving into North America until March.
Cherry plums
In addition to cherries, the company is developing a cherry plum program out of Chile. "We are working with growers who have the exclusive rights to plant and grow the best varieties," Isaacs shared. Cherry plums from Global Fruit will be available in North American stores for the first time this coming season. Supply will build up rapidly in the coming years as new acreage will continue to come into production. "This will help in meeting the demand for cherry plums, which currently far exceeds supply, and is a natural fit for our customers who have come to rely on Global Fruit for the highest quality cherries from both hemispheres," he concluded.
For more information:
Richard Isaacs
Managing Director
Global Fruit
Tel: (+1) 250-428-2320
[email protected]
North America
KC Skalisky
[email protected]
Ben Donahue
[email protected]
Asia
Jingtian 'JT' Niu
[email protected]
EU/ME
Marcos Bala
[email protected]