This year's Northwest cherry crop is anticipated to be a strong one. "We're seeing a great fruit set across every growing district—from The Dalles up to the Okanogan Valley," says Joel Hewitt of CMI Orchards LLC. "Early projections show the 2025 Northwest cherry season will be larger than last year, currently showing a 21.4 million box crop—about 9 percent larger than last season."
This season, the company has expanded its packing capabilities by bringing on Pacific Coast Cherry Packers and Legendary Fruit Company (formerly Chelan Fruit). "These additions significantly increase our capacity and enhance our ability to deliver high-quality cherries to domestic and export markets at peak freshness," says Hewitt.
The company's Northwest varieties include conventional and organic Dark Sweet Red and Rainier cherries, Strawberry cherries, and Skylar Rae® cherries. "Skylar Rae is seeing notable volume growth this year and continues to gain traction in the premium cherry category. With its exceptionally high sugar content, crisp texture, and vibrant bi-colored appearance, it delivers a standout eating experience," says CMI's Rochelle Bohm. "Its unique backstory and limited availability make it an ideal offering for retailers aiming to differentiate and elevate their summer cherry assortment. With growing partners in the northern and southern hemispheres, customers benefit from extended opportunities to build a strong multi-season program. Skylar Rae is potentially the only branded cherry with global availability."
The company also doubled its organic volume over last year.
© CMI (Columbia Marketing International)Early projections show the 2025 Northwest cherry season will be larger than last year.
Early start for crop
This year's Northwest cherry harvest is kicking off now, with volume anticipated to quickly ramp up in the coming week. Promotable quantities should be available the second week of June with peak production from mid-June through July. "July in particular presents prime promotional opportunities for retailers, including strong positioning for the key Fourth of July U.S. holiday period. With consistent sizing, quality, and supply expected, cherry programs can be confidently built around this high-demand window," says Hewitt.
Meanwhile, Rainier cherry harvest will also get underway in early June, with promotable volume expected to carry through mid-to-late July, giving retailers additional opportunities to drive incremental summer sales.
All of this means the Northwest cherry season will kick off with a smooth and stable flow of fruit, with no significant supply gaps anticipated. "Favorable weather conditions and strategic orchard management have positioned us for a well-balanced season," says Hewitt, adding that because the California crop came in far under projections, the market is primed for the start of the Northwest season, which will deliver significant volumes to global cherry markets.
This all follows growing conditions this year which included a relatively mild spring across the Pacific Northwest that was free of extreme cold snaps or heat spikes. Early spring brought warm, dry weather that helped drive solid pollination and strong fruit set throughout the region. Unlike past seasons, frost hasn't been a major issue in 2025 and without late freezes interrupting growth, the crop has progressed smoothly and steadily. "These balanced conditions—consistent temps, just the right amount of rain, and plenty of sunshine—set us up for an exceptional harvest. Growers are seeing excellent fruit development with ideal size, firmness, and sugar levels. All signs point to a high-quality cherry season ahead," says Hewitt.
© CMI (Columbia Marketing International)Early spring brought warm, dry weather that helped drive solid pollination and strong fruit set throughout the region.
How demand is developing
As for demand, it continues to grow for cherries, a trend that's being driven by a combination of factors; health-conscious consumers, the popularity of premium fruit varieties, and expanding markets. "Retailers are responding to the growing demand by expanding their cherry assortments, particularly focusing on premium and specialty varieties. Programs like Nature's Candy®, American Dream®, and XXL™ Cherries are gaining traction, offering consumers unique flavor profiles and visual appeal," says Bohm, adding that CMI delivers cherries in several formats, including bulk, clamshell, pouch bag, and top-seal packaging. Clamshells offer 100 percent PET plastic packaging, while topseal reduces that PET plastic by 30 percent. All of CMI's pouch bags are now #4 LDPE plastic for better recyclability.
While undoubtedly the outlook is optimistic for the season, there are challenges as well. With the company's focus on strengthening relationships within its existing international customer base, tariff challenges, and evolving global trade dynamics have created uncertainty in key markets–particularly Asia. "These recent tariff implementations are impacting pricing in certain countries and competitiveness for U.S. cherry exporters, prompting a more cautious and strategic approach to international growth this year," says Scott Agnew. "Instead of expansion, we're concentrating on delivering consistent quality, dependable volume, and tailored marketing support to our long-standing export partners." That includes market-specific support such as translated POS materials, digital assets, and coordinated timing to ensure cherries arrive at peak freshness during key promotional periods in high-demand regions like Asia and Canada.
© CMI (Columbia Marketing International) "Skylar Rae is seeing notable volume growth this year and continues to gain traction in the premium cherry category," says Bohm.
Continued concerns over costs
Meanwhile, rising labor costs continue to be top of mind for cherry growers as harvest demand continues to increase alongside tightening labor laws. "From wage rate adjustments to expanded requirements around housing, transportation, and meal provisions, growers are navigating a complex and costly regulatory landscape. These added expenses make labor one of the most significant inputs in cherry production," says Hewitt.
So, with that goal in mind of delivering consistent quality and supply during peak cherry season, the company has implemented a multi-layered approach to avoid stockouts and minimize shrink. This starts in the orchard with strategic planting across multiple elevations and regions to stagger harvest timing and extend the shipping window and thus create a steady flow of fruit rather than moving an overwhelming volume all at once. The company also provides real-time crop updates to help ad planting and pricing during peak windows.
Then, it's about collaboration. "We work with retail partners, export customers, and commodity boards to align timing, volume, and messaging for impactful promotions across domestic and international markets," says Bohm, adding that retailers are supported via tailored promotional programs, in-store merchandising materials, digital and social content, and consumer education.
That means the company also encourages retailers to do things such as take advantage of strong July promotional windows, including Fourth of July sales, but also be proactive by monitoring regional weather updates for late-season shifts and stay in contact with suppliers to align timing, volume, and in-store strategy. "We also work in partnership with groups like the Northwest Cherry Growers to extend the reach of category-wide campaigns," says Bohm, adding that these collaborations often include shared advertising, PR outreach, influencer engagement, and retailer co-marketing initiatives.
For more information:
Kaci Komstadius
CMI Orchards, LLC
Tel: (509) 888-0536
[email protected]
www.cmiorchards.com
