Northwest American cherry growers start weather storms and harvest

Continued cold weather has delayed the start of the cherry season in the northwestern United States. Fortunately, this has allowed most farmers to mitigate the impact of recent storms in Washington. The quality and color of the cherries are exceptional, but the sizes are a challenge with the early varieties. “Our levels have returned to normal,” Northwest Cherry said in a statement. “We expect to increase the number of manageables in the coming week, after which ads can be launched globally.”

By 2021 so far 1.9 million cartons have been shipped

Third estimate 2021: 22.4 million cartons
Two high pressure areas have lashed the northwest for the past one week, causing heavy rainfall and high temperatures. Fortunately, the low daylight temperature following the rain allowed the cherries to dry. Despite this, the weather has delayed the season. However, current weather conditions are expected to accelerate the harvest.

Now that farmers are harvesting more cherry varieties, availability has increased. At the start of the season, the numbers were bigger than expected. There are of course many orchards with lots of fruit, but the chart below shows more details and makes it clear that Mother Nature is responsible for every season!

Fortunately, the color, taste and sweetness of the cherries are nice. Optical sorting technologies have contributed to a more consistent sorting, which means more and more consumers are taking cherries home.

The Rainer 2021 harvest has come to a great start. The demand for this type of very sweet is strong. However, the wind is very challenging for growers of yellow cherries, but for now they expect to send more than 2 million cartons (6.8 kg) this season.

The chart below shows an overview of the Pacific coast cherry harvest over the past two years and a third rating for the Northwest Territory (click for a larger view). The dark red line indicates actual exports. The harvesting rate has dropped from the estimate, but the loading is in line with the estimate. As the season begins slowly, more cherry cartons will be shipped in July.

For more information:
Northwest Cherry
www.nwcherries.com