Through June 22nd, the Northwest cherry industry has shipped just over 9 million 20-pound boxes. Despite many growers picking out light on all varieties up to this point, current shipments put the total crop on a path to finish June close to the pre-season industry estimate. The first Skeenas and Lapins have shipped in the past week, and have certainly caught the media's eye! Despite the increasing volume, consumer attention, labor shortages and increased repeat purchases at retail have not created a full pipeline. Growers and packers continue to work around the clock to keep the momentum going.
Certainly the stars of the week are the retailers. Though this has certainly not been the easiest start to harvest, retailers have continued to see the promise in great cherry promotions and have maintained their focus despite the challenges. We look forward to getting into more varieties over the coming week, as we climb out of the projected dip in variety availability. We expect solid picking to continue in earnest for at least the next 3 weeks, with many later growers continuing even after that point.
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