“Overall, we're looking at a strong, early crop,” said James Michael of Northwest Cherry Growers. “Some areas in Oregon will be down because of winter damage, but right now we're preparing for a crop of around 20 million boxes.” While this year's crop likely won't match last year's in volume, it will likely outpace the early availability of last year. Growers harvested about 10 million boxes in June of last year, which was the first month of picking, and Michael believes they'll have more than 10 million boxes picked this June.
“What we're seeing is a general trend toward modernization in the orchards and in the packing houses,” said Michael. “It's not so much a question of more acreage, but how growers are enhancing or replacing orchards. One trend in particular has been the growth of early-ripening Rainiers." Michael was excited about the opportunity for retailers, "We'll have an early start with strong, consistent volume from the first days of June stretching into the end of July.” The Northwest harvest typically runs about 75 to 80 days a year, and, at 84 days, the previous season was the third longest. It's too early to estimate the length of the 2015 season, but Michael reports field data showing an expected adequate spread between varieties.
“As one of the few truly seasonal crops left in the United States, to have a few more weeks is key,” said Michael. “A lot of it is elevation differences. It's not just planting more, but fine-tuning what we have, thus expanding opportunities for retailers.”
A larger early season window will also provide more export opportunities from the outset. With the European market having access to cherries closer to their home markets, growth in exports to Europe hasn't been exceptionally big. But Asian markets have been promising. While China continues to invest in its own orchards, Michael believes there will always be a place in China and the rest of Asia for the quality that Northwest cherries have become known for. Trade agreements have also led to lower prices in South Korea, which combined with increased promotion has boosted consumption of Northwest cherries tremendously in that country.
“Even though prices for our cherries in Korea are still not the cheapest thing on the shelf, more people buy fruit when it becomes more affordable,” said Michael. “It's the same thing that happened with Rainiers here; prices fell one year because there was so much fruit, so more people tried them, and they liked Rainiers so much that they continued to buy them even after prices rose again.”
For more information:
James W. Michael
Northwest Cherry Growers
Email: james@nwcherries.com
nwcherries.com