"Neither frost nor heat nor wind nor rain will stop a cherry grower from their self-appointed duty while there's still a crop on the trees...and our growers are still at it!"
"As we discussed last week, the Northwest heat wave that made news around the world certainly had an impact on the cherry crop. Fruit exposed to such a prolonged period of intense heat wouldn't meet the stringent standards upheld by the Northwest growers. Unfortunately, that means that a few growers lost some or all of their crop this season. Our hearts go out to anyone who works all year, only to see their efforts undone just before fruition."
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"Fortunately however, the Pacific Northwest is a big place with over 2,000 feet of elevation change across the growing regions. Together, the industry as a whole has shipped an average of 420,000 boxes per day for the past week to points around the world."
"The timing impact of the early frosts and recent heat on this crop of cherries is clearly visible on the daily line chart above. To put the volume as well as the velocity in a wider perspective, the two "First XX Days of NW Shipments" charts compare the combined total volume of boxes shipped within the stated number of days over a 16 year period. While 2021 started out very similarly to what we all saw in 2020, the heat boost and better crops on the trees has allowed the current season to pull ahead in available volume compared to last season."
"It's impossible to say for certain if the the actual daily shipment curve will return to closer alignment with the Round 3 projection from here on out. Traditionally this week has been a period of peak production for the Northwest, and the daily averages suggest that the 2021 crop will maintain this high plateau per usual."
"In the best of summers, growing Rainier cherries is a challenge. The weather that 2021 has thrown at the yellow cherry-growers has caused them a disproportionate amount of damage. Thankfully, with just over 1.8 million 15-pound boxes already picked and shipped this season, we are certainly nearing the back end of the Rainier crop. However, plantings amongst our latest orchards will continue to deliver a small buy steady supply past National Rainier Cherry Day (July 11th) and on until the end of August."
We are excited to share a taste of the Northwest Cherry Growers’ most recent marketing efforts, which have added to the buzz among consumers about cherries and the important health benefits they offer.
