Posts Tagged “Northwest cherry shipments”
2021 Shipped Crop To Date: 8,879,137 boxes as of July 5th
Excessive heat can delay fruit development just as much as cooler weather.
Duration of this heat wave encouraged growers who were close to harvest to begin picking and shipping before their fruit was subjected to the heat. Such an upward shift in volume will have an eventual impact on the overall daily potential volume.
So while some more fruit arrived at the optical sorters before otherwise expected, the Northwest did lose some cherries due to the extreme heat. Cherries on the perimeter of the trees were more greatly impacted than fruit within the canopies. Thankfully, many growers were able to mitigate the worst of the heat with over-orchard netting and under-canopy sprinklers and thus were able to save much of their fruit. And at this point, no effects on green or developing cherries have been detected.
Even with the spike of fruit intake before the heat by most warehouses, June volume still fell well under the forecast due weather delays. With close to 8.4 million boxes, the preliminary June 2021 total was just under 2 million boxes shy (18%) of the last pre-crop estimate.
While the first week of June saw an average of 31,000 boxes a day, the Northwest has averaged an additional half-million additional boxes shipped per day (530,000) for the last week of the month.
It’s obvious the preseason estimate of 22.4 million boxes couldn’t take into account a record-smashing heat wave.
Big volume cherry shipments should continue into August as planned. The cherries in many higher elevations and norther latitude orchards are still green and growing well.
While most retails are now carrying Northwest fruit, there is still some late California fruit to be found in markets around the US. California’s volume increased 283% from last year, and 231% over the 3 year average. This lingering California fruit has delayed the transition into Northwest cherries, and caused perhaps more of an issue for Northwest shippers than the weather.
Yakima Valley cherries – grossing about $9700 to New York City.
Sweet cherry shipments are well underway in the Northwest, and produce is arriving at destination points across the country for the 2021 crop.
The cherry industry has shipped just under 600,000 boxes total, much less than forecasted before cooler weather arrived.
July may not hit the high volumes experienced in 2017 (15 million) or 2018 (13.5 million), but at an estimated 11.3 million boxes the 2021 crop should deliver just under the 5-year average of 11.8 million boxes in July.
As detailed in the Northwest Cherry Growers last report, the end of May brought cool and unsettled weather which delayed the first pick for many of the early growers. Similar weather patterns have largely continued to be the case as harvest slowly spreads and picks up speed in other spots across the Northwest. Atypical storm fronts and lower daytime temperatures have caused growers to delay picking in order to allow their fruit to reach optimal maturity before harvest, which has led to an overall slower start to harvest and limited initial volumes.
While most growers are not looking at a full crop this season, their combined volume will steadily increase and should produce a steady supply through mid-August.
Yakima Valley cherries grossing – about $6900 to Chicago; $9700 to New York City.
By Northwest Cherry Shippers
The first estimate from Northwest Cherries pegs the 2021 crop at 23.79 million cartons, up 20% from 19.83 million cartons in 2020 and up 2% from 2019. Harvest is expected to begin June 1.
Crop Size: The Northwest Cherry Growers’ Field Estimate team has compiled an initial (“Round 1”) projection for the 2021 Northwest crop. Annually this 22-person estimation team looks at their orchards as well as the surrounding area’s volume dynamics and compiles overviews for their area.
Each member submits the data specific to their active growing districts, and then that data is built into an estimation model which represents each of the Northwest’s cherry growing regions. The model is populated with historical data, growing degree day patterns, acreage shifts, market trends, processing tonnage and in-field assessments, and then uses the Field Team’s input to project a crop for the coming season. This year, the first round data from the model suggests a 2021 crop of 237,992 tons.
2021 NW Round 1 Crop Estimate: 23,792,000 boxes
However, as always it is important to note that this Round One estimate has the most potential for variance from the eventual and actual size of the crop. Spring was late this year, but progressing quickly. Tree “drops” are natural and taken into account in our subsequent estimates. But that’s not all we can tell from the trees, and the news is good.
Crop Points to Remember – 2021
Harvest will begin in the last few days of May in our earliest sites.
As more orchards & regions come online during the first two weeks of June, volume may accumulate more slowly due to weather-impacted orchards.
While volume may accumulate more slowly, as the end of June approaches we expect shipping volumes to exceed last year.
Supplies for late June and the 4th of July promotions look very promising.
July will be a strong month all the way through.
August will have opportunity for at least one ad this season with projected volume trickling out through the end of the month.
Crop Timing: Based on our accumulated Growing Degree Day data, it appears that AT THIS POINT we are on track for a start that should begin by June 1. In several of our earliest regions we are only a day or two behind last year, which saw harvest start on the 28th of May.
While there will be fewer Northwest cherry shipments than a year ago, which was 23 million 20-pound boxes, in 2020 there will be plenty of loading opportunities.
The original estimate for this year’s crop was about 19 million to 20 million boxes. It was issued in early May by the Northwest Cherry Growers, an organization with about 2,500 cherry growers in the Pacific Northwest. The group released an official estimate of 20.5 million 15-pound boxes.
Initial shipments have just started and volume will be ramping up in the coming days.
Sage Fruit Co. of Yakima, WA, reports the season is looking excellent and there will be good supplies heading towards the Fourth of July.
The Oppenheimer Group of Vancouver, British Columbia recalls last year was one of the best in recent history for cherry shipments.
Oneonta Trading Corp. Wenatchee, WA is expecting to have 25 percent fewer loadings this season due to frost damage.
Despite being down in volume as a state, the addition of Stadelman Fruit to to company family has positioned Oneonta Trading to have a great season.
Chelan Fresh Marketing of Chelan, WA believes there will be improved shipments in the in northern growing areas of the Northwest than a year ago. The company expects shipments to run through mid-August.
BC Tree Fruits of Kelowna, British Columbia will start with light volume about June 12 and sees peak shipments hitting in mid July and continuing until the first half of August.
Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $6300 to New York City.
As California cherry shipments wind down loadings will soon move to the Northwest led by Washington state. Initial movement starts in May, with peak shipments occurring during June before the season winds down in August.
The Northwest Cherry Growers have issued an initial forecast of 20.5 million, 15-pound boxes. No record shipments are being predicted this season, but there should be good volume, with larger sized fruit.
A strong start to cherry shipments is expected in the last few days of May, and due to growing conditions, one of the largest spreads between early and late districts is predicted. In other words, a little longer shipping season this year.
One of the earliest areas for the first Washington cherry shipments are Mattawa (Washington), about 60 miles northeast of Yakima. Another early producing area is LeGrow, found in the Tri-Cities grown region. A third early producing are is along the Columbia River at Hermiston, OR. One of the latest producing areas is at Wenatchee, WA.
Northwest cherry shipments are off to a good start and excellent volume is expected leading up to the Fourth of July and beyond.
Around 2.5 million cartons had been picked as of June 19. Northwest cherry shipments this season are forecast to fall in the 20 million to 23 million cartons range. Cherry picking got underway around June 8th, a little later than last year.
“Our cherries ripened up a few days earlier than expected as the weather has really been favorable this spring,” said Steve Castleman, vice president for sales for CMI Orchards of Wenatchee, WA. “Lots of sunshine and warm temperatures have brought the color and sugars up and we’re looking at a superior harvest with sweet, vibrant and high-quality fruit for the duration of the season.”
Tim Welsh, a general manager for Columbia Fruit Packers (one of four grower/packer companies that owns CMI Orchards) said in the release the Washington cherry crop has seen very little wind, and that has resulted in very clean fruit.
Welsh said in the release that sizing will be mixed with a range of small to extra large at the beginning of the season.
“As the season progresses, our cherries continue to get larger and larger, and by July we should see a lot more large fruit than typical,” he said in the release. Welsh said there will be “huge” promotable volume between the end of June and the end of July.
Harvest for CMI is officially underway for the company’s very first crop of Skylar Rae cherries, according to the release.
“They are big, bright, blushing and sweet as can be,” Shane Marston, sales manager for CMI, said in the release.
CMI joined forces with Stemilt this year to grow and market Skylar Rae cherries, according to the release. The variety, originally discovered by the Toftness family in Washington, are available in a 1-pound clamshell or pouch bag, and supply is limited, according to the release.
Northwest cherries, apples and pears, grossing about $6300 to New York City.
Another normal volume shipping season is seen for Ohio vegetables, while a double digit decline is seen for Northwest cherries. Meanwhile, Arkansas produce shipments get underway in July.
Ohio Vegetable Shipments
Michael Farms of Urbana, Ohio will begin shipping cabbage and green beans in by late June, sweet corn in mid-July and potatoes in early August.
Holthouse Farms of Willard, Ohio has been shipping radishes and cilantro since late May, lettuces since early June, and just started squash. Chili peppers will come on in early July. The company also ships bell peppers and eggplant and will have hard squash in the fall.
Buurma Farms of Willard, Ohio has been loading radishes since Memorial Day, and has since added mustard greens, collard greens, kale, dill, cilantro and other items. The company has just started shipping red leaf, green leaf and romaine.
NatureFresh Farms of Leamington, Ontario starts shipping from its Delta, Ohio, greenhouse at the end of September and goes through the beginning of July 2019.
NatureFresh grows beefsteak, cherry, grape, roma and cocktail tomatoes, as well as tomatoes on the vine.
Northwest Cherry Shipments
The crop estimate for Northwest cherries is for 22.6 million 20-pound cartons, down 15 percent from a year ago.
In 2017 there were shipments of 26.5 million cartons. An average crop size is 22 million boxes.
Stemilt Growers Inc. of Wenatchee, WA picked its first cherries about a week ago.
California is wrapping up cherry shipments and the crop will be down significantly from last year — about 3 million boxes compared to a record 9.6 million boxes last year. Normal is about 6 million boxes.
Arkansas Produce Shipments
H.C. Schmieding Produce Co. LLC of Springdale, AR expects to start watermelon shipments around the 4th of July and go through the first week of August. The company expects to have light volumes of corn the first week of July, running through the end of the month.
Gem Tomato & Vegetable Sales of Boca Raton, FL is now shipping Arkansas tomatoes and will continue for another month.
Arkansas has roughly 1,200 acres of watermelons, 800 acres of tomatoes.
by Northwest Cherry Growers
Northwest cherry shipments are on pace for a strong start in June.
About 22.6 million (20-pound equivalent) boxes are forecast to be shipped this season. The 2018 crop on the trees gives every indication of a fantastic season to come for growers, truckers and retailers alike.
In 2015 and 2016, we shipped for at least a week in the month of May. Last season (2017) we didn’t begin shipping until the eighth of June. Based on individual grower records of bloom timing in the Tri-Cities district, one of our earliest producing areas, they expect some early fruit during the first week of June with Chelan volume ramping up during the second week. There is weather and time yet to happen between now and the start of harvest, but if all of these patterns continue we will still expect to see significant volumes in June, especially the June 27th break prior to the Fourth of July holiday.
Every tree is different, but there are several trends noted across varieties and growing areas. In general, bloom this season was well spread throughout the trees. “Snowball” bloom, or heavy clusters of flowers, were less prevalent. The flower count per bud has also been closer to normal, 2-to-3 flowers, as compared to last year’s 4-to-6 flowers. Fewer flowers per bud typically translates into more energy distributed into fewer cherries per tree.
After bloom finishes, the next stage of the estimate waiting game begins….from Rainiers in the Orondo area to Chelans in Pasco. However, it takes several weeks after bloom finishes before growers can determine what will “stick” on the trees…in other words, which flowers were pollinated and will turn into cherries. Most commercial varieties will drop what they’re going to by the pit hardening stage, typically two to three weeks after bloom, but some cherries like the Chelan can “drop” all the way up to harvest.
Washington is shipping nearly 3200 truck load equivalents of apples weekly – grossing about $7000 to New York City.
Some Western cherry shipments are finished, but the Northwest cherry crop is coming on….Meanwhile, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware is underway with vegetables.
California cherry shipments are ending up at nearly 9 million, 18-pound boxes, which would exceed the 8.7 million-box-record loadings in 2008. It may very well be California’s best and largest sweet cherry season ever as Washington state’s harvest gets underway. Hollister, CA finished about a week ago.
Last year California finished with 5.1 million boxes after losing about 3 million boxes to rain.
California’s cherry industry has had many disappointments in recent years due to rain or heat. Inadequate winter chill led to poor fruit set in 2014 and a crop of just 2.7 million boxes. And 2005 and 2006 were at 3 million boxes or less.
California shipments averaged 250,000 boxes per day between May 5 and June 4, with a peak of 377,000 boxes on May 23.
About 70 percent of California’s crop was shipped to all regions of the U.S. and 9.4 percent to Canada, 9 percent to South Korea and the balance to Japan, China, Hong Kong and a few others.
Pacific Northwest Cherry Shipments
Pacific Northwest cherry shipments are forecast at 22.7 million boxes with Washington cherry shipments accounting 81 percent of it. The Northwest counts by 22-pound boxes and California by 18-pound boxes.
The Washington harvest began with the Chelan variety at Doebler Orchard near Mattawa on June 6.
It was a limited run for the first cherries, but packing cranked up about June 15 as more orchards started picking.
Yakima Valley apple and pear shipments – grossing about $4500 to Dallas.
Eastern Shore Vegetable Shipments
All packing sheds on the Eastern Shore were running as of yesterday.
Fresh potato shipments are particularly good for Canada this season with reds, russets and yellows being shipped from areas of the Eastern Shore. However, the majority of potatoes are shipped throughout the Northeast when those areas are not producing.
The largest russet grower on the Eastern Shore is Yaros Farms in Lower Northampton County. Dublin Farms in Horntown is one of Virginia’s biggest potato operations. It ships 12 to 15 loads daily from late June through mid-August.
When the southern states stop shipping, loadings are redirected there. Depending on the volume from Canadian potatoes from year to year, the Eastern Shore also distributes into in Canada.
There typically is between 3,000 and 4,000 acres of potatoes grown on the Eastern Shore.
C&E Farms in Cheriton, VA, is one of the largest green bean operations in the nation. C&E Farms also ships green beans from North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida. The company has packing facilities in Cheriton and in Parrish, FL.
Virginia’s three major tomato operations, Lipman Family Farms, Pacific Tomato Growers and Del Monte, will be shipping about equal volumes of round, roma, grape, cherry and heirloom tomatoes from late June through September.
Northwest cherry shipments should kick off in early June, with peak loading taking place in July, although there should be significant supply in August. This means a more traditional shipping season.An official forecast has yet to be issued but a quality full crop of about 20 million boxes is expected by some observers. In 2016 NW cherry shipments totaled 21 million boxes, and a record volume of 23 million boxes were loaded in 2014.
The Northwest had one of the coldest winters in nearly a quarter of a century and this will lead to a later start to the season than a year ago. Cherry picking should start the first week of June, compared with a May 15 start date in 2016. The 2016 season was the earliest ever for Northwest cherries.
The 2017 shipping season should have peak cherry shipments during July, although good volume of fruit is expected in August. The past two season there has been about 200,000 to 500,000 boxes shipped in August. This season around 2 million or more boxes should be shipped in August.
By comparison, California cherry shipments should be around 7 million to 8 million boxes (see last week’s report), meaning little overlap with Northwest cherry shipments.
Most Northwest cherries originate out of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. However, 95 percent of the production comes from Washington and Oregon.
The later start date means there will be more fruit in July this season, along with good volumes in August. While there will a good amount of fruit available for the Fourth of July holidays, volumes would undoubtedly be lower than last year due to the later season. Last year there were 12 million boxes shipped in June, but this year there will probably be 7 or 8 million boxes shipped during June.
About 30 percent of the NW cherry crop will be exported this season, with a majority of the fruit destined for Canada.
Apricot Shipments
Good, fairly normal apricot shipments are expected this season, getting underway around the third week of June out of Washington.
Washington apples and pears – grossing about $4000 to Dallas.