NW Cherry Shipments Set for June Start; South African Clementine Imports are Coming

NW Cherry Shipments Set for June Start; South African Clementine Imports are Coming
DSCN9478Northwest cherry shipments will get underway next month with more volume expected than usual later in the season.  Meanwhile, South African clementine exports are expected to have good volume this season.
In the first shipping estimate of the year,  21.8 million 20-pound boxes of Northwest cherries are expected.  This is an increase from 20.9 million boxes last year,  but less than the 2014 record crop of 23.2 million boxes.
The first of four cherry shipping estimates set for release this season.  The May 4th crop estimate covers all Northwest growing districts.  Cherry shipments  will begin later than last year, pushing more of the loadings into July and August.

The forecast has 5.2 million boxes of cherries will be shipped in June, 13.3 million boxes in July and 3.3 million boxes in August.  Last year, the Northwest shipped 500,000 boxes in May, 10 million boxes in June, 7.9 million boxes in July and very limited volume in August.

The 2017 estimate includes a strong rainier crop, exceeding the nearly identical 1.7 million box (15-pound) crops of 2015 and 2016.
With bloom running very late this, the estimate said consistent warm weather produced a great bloom across all regions. The earliest growers expect shipments to start during the second week of June, with volume extending through August.

Citrus Imports

The first South African clementines are expected to arrive in the U.S. in late May or early June.  However, California mandarins are expected to ship a little longer this season, into mid-June.

The season for South African mandarins will extend into late September.  South Africa’s late-season mandarins are exceptional, and should start arriving in the U.S. in August.   The heavest volume is expected to start in late June or early July.

A clementine  is a hybrid between a mandarin orange and a sweet orange and was named such in 1902.] The exterior is a deep orange color with a smooth, glossy appearance.

The mandarin orange, also known as the mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling other oranges.  Mandarins are smaller and oblate, rather than spherical like the common oranges. The taste is considered less sour, as well as sweeter and stronger.

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