Northwest cherry growers may not harvest as many cherries as last year overall, but they easily set a record for the month of June.
The industry shipped roughly 12 million boxes as of Monday afternoon, topping by 14 percent the previous record for June set just last year, according to B.J. Thurlby, president of Northwest Cherry Growers, a Yakima-based group that represents producers from five states.
“That’s the biggest June we’ve ever had,” he said.
Timing is critical with cherries, a crop that relies heavily on Fourth of July store specials.
Growers expect the 2015 harvest to come in at about 18 million 20-pound boxes, down from their preseason prediction in mid-May of nearly 20 million boxes. The difference is due to a little rain and wind in spots in May, Thurlby said.
Last year’s record crop was a record 23 million boxes.
Washington, the nation’s largest sweet cherry producer, accounts for 75 percent or more of Northwest cherries.
The association derives its figures from a staff of field representatives who communicate with growers and make periodic seasonal updates.
However, the Sleepy Hollow Fire in Wenatchee has clouded the picture.
Four fruit-industry-related companies — Blue Bird Fruit Co., Northwest Wholesale, Michelson Packaging Co. and Stemilt Growers — have facilities affected by fire, said Stephanie Chance, a spokeswoman for the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. Blue Bird and Stemilt both had cherry packing lines destroyed, she said.
The industry has not estimated the value of the losses yet.
Executives of the companies were negotiating Monday with other packers to reroute incoming cherries, Thurlby said. Fruit-packing firms commonly shop out their product to other packers when they fear having too much at one time.
“The way this industry works is we work together,” he said.
Growers for the companies were trying Monday to delay their picking to buy some time, Thurlby said.
This is the second year in a row fire has delivered a blow to the cherry industry. In 2014, cold storage facilities in Brewster and Pateros were destroyed by fire.
“It feels like this cherry deal just keeps getting hit with maladies you just don’t foresee,” Thurlby said.
The good news this year is that, just like with every other crop, the mild winter and warm spring have brought cherry season early, giving the cherry harvest a leg up in the race for Fourth of July sales.
Independence Day is the nation’s biggest produce holiday, when cherries compete with strawberries, melons and other fresh crops for store space and shoppers’ attention.
Rainier-variety cherries were selling last week at a weighted average price of $4.24 per pound, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture market reports. Meanwhile, red varieties, including the most common Bing, have been selling for $2.83 per pound.
