A lot of optimism is found with the upcoming California cherry shipping season, although a cold, wet growing season is expected to delay its start by two weeks or more.
Primavera Marketing of Linden, CA will begin its 34th season of selling California cherries. While the company usually starts cherry marketing in late April and continues through mid-June, this year’s timetable is about two to three weeks later than last year, although more like and 10 to 12 days later than what is considered normal.
While a few growers may start harvesting in late April, volume will pick up around May 17 and build momentum through May 25.
Peak volume shipments are expected from about May 26 through June 15, while wrapping up by June 20.
It remains to be seen how much of an overlap there will be from California cherries to the Northwest cherry season.
Oppy of Vancouver, BC expects its California cherry season to get underway around the second week of May, with peak volumes between May 20 to June 10.
Oppy’s California cherry season will end around June 20, just in time to overlap with the start of the Pacific Northwest cherry crop. The company’s 2023 California cherry crop should see a big increase over the short 2022 crop, which was hurt by frost damage and poor pollination.
Once Oppy completes its California season, it will move up through Oregon and ending in British Columbia. In Oregon, Oppy is celebrating its 100th anniversary with Orchard View cherries in The Dalles, Ore.
The USDA reported total cherry shipments from California’s San Joaquin Valley in 2022 totaled 2,256 truckloads, down 59% from 4,442 truckloads in 2021.
Although there are some counter-seasonal imports, nearly 90% of fresh cherries in the U.S. are shipped in May, June and July.