Chris Connell, SVP perishables North America at Commodity Forwarders, predicts a higher yield of larger fruit for export this year, with around 23 million 20lb boxes or 207,000 tonnes exported to Asia.
However, the quality of the crop was uneven, and foreign purchasers were less enthusiastic than expected. The dollar's strength and the escaping lockdowns in key Asian markets contributed to the price-sensitive nature of markets.
The Vietnamese market has continued to grow, while European retailers and importers have been buying more cherries from Turkey and Spain.
US cherry growers are now focusing more on the home market due to the more competitive international markets. Cathay Pacific raised the weekly freighter frequency to the Pacific northwest to meet extra loads, but there was no discernible increase in total freighter activity. Other US perishable exports, such as blueberry, also struggled this year due to quality issues.
Read the full article: The Load Star
Immagine: Good Fruit Growers
20 May 2024
As for the quantities, this year we will express our full production potential of 3,000 tons, after a particularly poor 2023’ says Enrico Bucchi, General Manager of Valfrutta Fresco 'Last week we started with the first harvests and this week we are already at full capacity'.
25 Apr 2024
‘We are preparing to see cherry growth a little earlier than expected this season,’ says Jon Hillary, Driscoll's cherry product manager. ‘The forecast is for an early start, but it will depend on a sunnier spring.
26 Jun 2026
A three-year study in Poland compares organic and conventional sour cherries, showing that cultivar, climate and season affect fruit quality more than orchard management alone. Oblačinska stands out as the most promising cultivar for high-quality organic production.
26 Jun 2026
A Tasmanian study examines how clear and opaque rain covers change orchard microclimate, light, leaf physiology and cherry quality, combining replicated field trials and grower case studies to help producers improve fruit performance, harvest timing and storage potential.
