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
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