The Ag Information Network report on today's fruit growers. Sweet cherry production in the United States for this year is expected to reach 355,000 tons, a slight increase from last year.
Starting from the south, Lance Honig of USDA says things are looking quite good.
"Looking at California specifically, it's still a very abundant harvest. Last season was nearly a record, so even though California is down, the harvest is still very plentiful. In Washington, the harvest is slightly below average but still of good size."
Honig notes that the estimates are accompanied by a clarification. "The total national figure of 355,000 tons, technically one could say it's increased by three-tenths of a percentage point compared to last year's production. But excluding Michigan, which wasn't counted in last year's total, there's a 5.9% decline compared to last year for the remaining three states we measured, across both seasons."
So, Honig says overall it's not bad. "And this is largely because we've seen a smaller crop, or expect a smaller crop, both in California and Washington, which are by far the dominant sweet cherry producers here in the United States."
Regarding consumers, Honig continues, "So, with a slight decline nationally, we still expect a medium to above-average harvest size. Therefore, availability shouldn't be a problem this year for sweet cherries."
Washington and Oregon together are estimated at 228,000 tons, with a decrease of about 3.4% from last year... but the quality this year is exceptional.
Source: AG Info
Image: Fresh Collective
01 Jun 2023
Since its arrival in France in 2010, Drosophila suzukii has caused extensive damage to several species, including cherries. The aim of a recent CTIFL note is to provide technical elements for phytosanitary protection of cherry trees against D. suzukii.
12 Oct 2026
Rainfall in south-central Chile is raising the risk of fungal and bacterial diseases in orchards. INIA Quilamapu warns that cherry, blueberry, pome fruit and grapevine crops are vulnerable, highlighting monitoring, preventive measures and the removal of infected timber.
30 Oct 2026
Managing processing times means ensuring that fruit moves from harvesting to cooling with as few interruptions as possible. The aim is to reduce waiting, balance capacity across the different stages, prevent accumulation and identify bottlenecks before they compromise fruit condi
30 Oct 2026
Although lower production may put upward pressure on prices, the extent of any increases will depend on demand, existing supplies and supplier-specific market conditions.
