Good spring weather has many growers in the Pacific Northwest eagerly awaiting the start of the cherry season. Although harvesting is still several weeks away and much can change before then, early signs point to a good season in terms of volume.“We're quite optimistic,” said Loren Queen, marketing and communications manager at Domex Superfresh Growers. Though he offered the caveat that there's still time in which the weather can significantly affect this year's crop, several factors point to good volume this year.
“We've had nice spring weather,” he said, “and as long as the weather holds, quality and volume should be good.” Based off very early estimates, he predicts they'll have about a 10% increase in production over last year.
Kevin Steiner, of Sage Fruit Company, also sees positive signs leading up to this year's harvest. He said good weather has led to a good bloom this year, and that bodes well for the upcoming crop.
“We've had excellent weather and a good bloom, so we're looking for an increase in production over last year,” he said. He, like Queen, warned that estimates are still very early, but he anticipates an increase over last year of about 30%. Because there was a consistent bloom throughout their growing regions, Steiner predicted steady production which should allow for an orderly marketing season. He added that Sage Fruit will most likely have more Rainier cherries this season based on increased acreage of that variety bearing fruit.
The outlook for this season is positive, said Steiner, especially considering last year's season.
“The industry as a whole experienced really cool weather and some freezes last year,” he said, “so everyone is looking forward to this season.”