It looks to be a tight market ahead for California cherries as growers gear up for harvest at the end of April. Warmer weather this winter and spring created a challenge for the amount of chill hours needed for some trees to develop healthy buds, Roger Pepperl, Marketing Director, Stemilt, tells AndNowUKnow.

“We have had our teams venturing out into the orchards and the California cherry harvest is shaping up to be a light crop this year,” Pepperl states. “There will probably be a fairly tight market and high pricing due to lower production and high demand.”

It is likely that the drought caused a lack of fog during the off-season for Stemilt, Pepperl notes, as fog typically helps to enhance the chill hours while holding onto the cold temperatures needed to maintain adequate chill hours.

Stemilt is currently growing in Bakersfield, California with acreage all the way north to Stockton with harvest slated for April 27th. The company will be offering Brooks, Tulare, Coral, Bings and Sweet Hearts, as well as Sequoias.

California is slated to see peaks mid-May and the first week of June. Some retailers have already started ad planning, Pepperl tells us, and since the crop won’t be as large, now is as good a time as any to start arranging to procure California cherries.

“Washington is shaping up to be a great crop with the mild weather allowing for a lot of really nice blooms,” Pepperl tells us.

Stockton, California- based Grower Direct Marketing notes that in its southern district the overall crop in Arvin is projected to be south of a moderate crop in terms of overall volume. This projection is on an orchard-to-orchard basis depending on root stock and variety.

This appears to be the situation in the middle district as well including Fresno & Reedley.

“As we move close to our projected start date we anticipate a relatively flat production curve, a somewhat promotable crop with consistent size, color and sugar once commercial volumes are available sometime late during the first week of May. Our initial harvest is projected to commence approximately April 26th,” Jim Hanson, Managing Director of Grower Direct Marketing, notes.

The company does anticipate the crop in the Northern District to be a very nice, promotable crop at present, if the current blooms have their way.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we gear up for the California cherry harvest.