Cherry growers in the Northwest have always known that the best way to successfully navigate the cherry season, which lasts 3 months, is to produce excellent quality fruit from start to finish. This year they have outdone themselves, producing fruit that drives repeat purchases and that consumers eagerly await all summer long.
In 2024, our growers will deliver cherries that will leave consumers wanting more and more! Thanks to the perfect climate for production, we are seeing uniformly colored red and yellow cherries with a brix of 20% and above.
Over 80% of the shipped crop is sized 10.5 row (26mm+) or larger. We are currently shipping over 350,000 boxes per day, bringing the season's total to 3,110,730 boxes (equivalent to 20 pounds - up to June 19, 2024).
It is expected that shipments will exceed 400,000 boxes per day by early next week!
Image 1: comparison of daily shipments between the five-year average, the 2024 estimate, and the actual 2024 data.
Get your promotions ready: despite shipments being in line with pre-season estimates, most growers report that early varieties are yielding a bit less than hoped. The good news is that later varieties, such as Bing and Skeena, seem to have moderate or medium-sized crops on the trees.
As mentioned earlier, these lighter sets have led to excellent quality so far... and it should remain that way until the last cherry is shipped in mid-August!
Source: Northwest Cherries
Images: Northwest Cherries
19 Feb 2025
Loss of firmness, color variation, stem desiccation, and mold growth are the main issues that compromise sweet cherry quality during storage and transport. Additionally, harvesting and the conditions under which it takes place have a significant impact on quality.
02 Oct 2024
Calcium is not very mobile throughout the plant. The lack of transport capacity makes it difficult to reach the growing fruits. Another issue is that Calcium follows the water flow through the xylem, which means that its absorption is closely tied to transpiration capacity.
19 Mar 2026
Cherry breeding programs in Romania are developing early and late varieties with higher yields and improved resistance. These innovations extend harvest windows, enhance fruit quality, and support adaptation to climate change and evolving market demands.
19 Mar 2026
In Quillón, the Agroclima Corazón de Paloma project brings a mobile app, weather stations and agroclimatic models to help around 60 small cherry growers manage orchards, protect a heritage variety and respond more effectively to climate change impacts.
