With Chilean cherry shipments to the US in full swing, total export volumes are expected to drop this year due to difficult growing conditions during the winter.
Evan Myers, CEO of Forever Fresh, reports that the start of the Chilean season was affected by the adverse winter weather conditions, with heavy rains affecting especially the earlier varieties. In December, shortages of these varieties led to 95% of cherries destined for the US being shipped by air, usually completed by mid-December before the arrival of the first sea containers.
Myers notes an overall decrease of 30% in shipments to the US compared to the previous year, with about 1.8 million boxes arriving out of a total projection of 2.3 million for this season, compared to 3.3 million last year. Although there are delays in shipments, the overall quality has been good and fruit size has improved significantly.
Compared to the previous season concentrated in three weeks, Myers expects shipments of cherries from Chile to extend into weeks 5 and 6, offering a supply period through February. This more diluted distribution could help retailers recover lost sales in December. At the moment, no significant delays are reported in the Panama Canal.
Myers points out that despite the overall decline in Chilean cherry exports, Forever Fresh will maintain similar volumes to the previous year. He emphasises the significant investments made by Chilean growers/owners in the US market over the past ten years and is confident of future supply growth due to new plantings in Chile and increased consumption in the US.
Read the full artcile: Fresh Fruit Portal
Image: Ilo da Pixabay
13 Jan 2025
The project is housed in a 30-acre orchard planted by NWFM, a company known for its early technology adoption. The project involves research trials conducted by Washington State University and has three years of funding from the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission.
09 Sep 2025
A study in Skierniewice, Poland, tested innovative methods to enhance sour cherry seed germination. Seed coat removal combined with cold stratification produced stronger seedlings faster, cutting time and costs while boosting breeding efficiency and genetic progress.
17 Apr 2026
A study on sweet cherry grown in Northern Greece examines transcription factors PaWRKY57 and PaNAC29, highlighting their key role in fruit growth, color development and in the molecular mechanisms regulating ripening in non-climacteric fruit species.
17 Apr 2026
CEAF research shows that rootstock and variety combinations influence drought tolerance in cherry trees in Chile, where rainfall is sharply declining. The study highlights strategies to improve water use efficiency and irrigation management in extreme climate conditions.
