Increased California cherry shipments are expected, especially compared to the 2018 season.
In 2018, cherry volume statewide totaled only 3.96 million cartons, thanks primarily to lousy weather conditions, compared to 9.56 million cartons in 2017. This year’s total volume may end between 10 and 11 million cartons. If so, that would be a new record for shipments.
2018 was highlighted by an early freeze, followed by heat later in the year.
Grower Direct Marketing LLC in Stockton, CA has noted an excellent bloom on cherry trees, preceded by chill hours and plenty of moisture, leading to plenty of optimism in 2019. Harvest and shipments started a week ago.
Loadings will continue well into June. About 60 percent of the volume will occur in May, with the balance taking place the first half of June. Heaviest shipments are not expected to occur until around May 20th.
At this moment, the cherry crop seems to have plenty of potential to be large, if not very large, in volume,” he said.
“The winter seemed to have brought enough chilling hours for early varieties grown at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley — varieties such as royal tioga, brooks, tulare and coral. However, lingering rainy and colder-than-normal weather is pushing most varieties to start the harvest about a week to 10 days later than normal.”
Bing cherries in the northern region looked “very good,” Ilic said.
“However, not exactly knowing what the weather will be for the next 60 or so days, will always make it a difficult thing to predict a cherry crop,” he said.
Rich Sambado, sales manager at Linden, Calif.-based Primavera Marketing, voiced optimism about the crop.
“As far as potential cropload, the industry will not have much of a feel until early April. At this point, there is concern about crop set, but all the while there is optimism in the air,” he said.