Traverse City area hit hard: tart cherry production down by 45%. Excellent fruit quality, but low volumes are pushing prices up.
In northern Michigan, the cherry harvest is expected to be significantly lower than in previous years. A spring frost, following a sudden temperature rise at the end of April, severely damaged the developing buds.
Ben LaCross, a grower in the Traverse City area — the cherry heartland of the state — explains: “The sudden warmth pushed the buds forward, making them vulnerable. The following frost compromised much of the bloom. We expect to harvest between 30% and 40% of the crop.”
Michigan, the top U.S. producer of tart cherries and fourth for sweet cherries, is facing an unusual season. The good news is the quality of the fruit, which LaCross describes as “beautiful,” thanks to well-timed rains and a lower incidence of fruit cracking.
However, the lack of supply will also impact the market. “With yields this low, prices will be very strong across the region,” the grower predicts.
According to official estimates from the Cherry Industry Administrative Board, Michigan’s tart cherry production will be 97 million pounds (about 44,000 tons), down 45% from 2024. Total U.S. production is expected to exceed 171 million pounds (about 77,500 tons). Sweet cherries are also down significantly, with an estimated 33% drop and total production of 14,000 pounds (about 6,350 kg).
Text and image source: brownfieldagnews.com
16 May 2023
The clones of the GiSelA® series are the most widely used rootstocks in cherry cultivation in temperate climates. The GiSelA®s were obtained from a genetic improvement programme carried out at the University of Giessen, Germany.
12 Apr 2024
"This year we have a more typical seasonal timing," said Mark Calder of Primavera Marketing - "Some of the earlier varieties could be out by 25 April, with a steady volume in the southern San Joaquin Valley by 5 May."
11 Sep 2026
Artificial intelligence is transforming fruit growing in Chile: computer vision, machine learning and data help measure quality, yields and waste, reduce errors and improve decisions from the orchard to packing lines and export markets, including cherries and other fruit crops.
11 Sep 2026
In Apulia, HTS identified Pomes virus Greece (PVGR) in sweet cherry for the first time in Italy. The virus was detected in 8.7% of the samples analysed, while one case of Cherry green ring mottle virus also marks the first regional report of CGRMV in southern Italy.
