The 2025 cherry season in Washington State will be remembered as one of the worst in the past twenty years… but only in terms of prices. In fact, from a qualitative standpoint, the fruit stood out for its impeccable taste and appearance.
However, a combination of factors made it impossible to capitalize on this excellence in the markets.
According to Loren Foss, Vice President of Commercial Strategy at CMI Orchards, the problem began when Washington cherries arrived early and in large volumes, while the more expensive Californian fruit was still on the shelves.
“The volume hit all at once, but we couldn’t get retailers to react quickly enough to lower prices,” Foss explained.
Climate warming advanced the harvest without harming product quality. However, the early arrival triggered a domino effect: an already abundant crop ended up overlapping with the Californian one, creating a critical overlap on the market.
Retailers, still busy selling high-priced Californian cherries, were unwilling to lower their price lists to make room for Washington fruit.
The result? Washington cherries never really “took off.” “We couldn’t generate momentum,” Foss commented bitterly.
Traditionally, June is the golden month for Washington cherries: the harvest coincides with the end of the Californian season, leaving room on the markets. The industry relies particularly on Independence Day, July 4th, to move much of the crop at sustainable prices.
But in 2025, the mechanism broke down. Even during the summer holidays, retail prices dropped to $4.99 (about €4.60), with lows of $3.99 (about €3.70): levels far lower than what the industry is used to seeing in peak season.
And yet, despite the discounts, demand failed to absorb the volumes.
For many growers, the disappointment translated into heavy losses. Some even chose not to harvest their entire crop, leaving fruit on the trees to avoid further costs.
“Instead of receiving a check, they risk receiving a bill,” Foss said, referring to the downward spiral of a market that failed to reward quality.
“The fruit was fantastic, growers did everything in their power. But if we can’t turn this work into profitability, the system cannot hold,” he concluded.
Text and image source: portalfruticola.com
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