The canadian cherry season: rain, reduced exports and a short time

"For Canada this year was pretty rough cherry season," says Rick Chong of Sutherland S. A. Produce, Inc. "We had 20 days of rain which really affected the quality of the harvest." In addition, El niño has a negative impact on yield of sweet cherry in the last two seasons. "Due to the different weather conditions, the majority of sweet cherry varieties ripe at the same time, which actually shrank the terms of the canadian cherry season. Typically, our season is ten weeks, but over the past two years it has been reduced to six weeks, " according to Chong. The total harvest is only 15 percent less compared to last year. Without rain this year would be a bumper crop.

"Our harvest overlaps with Washington, which puts pressure on prices worldwide during the first two weeks of our season. As a result, the producers received less profit. The last four weeks of the season, however, the prices were really good," says Chong.

Reduced exports to countries in Asia and Europe

Exports have been limited this season. Asia loves cherries are as hard as rocks, but because of the rain this year the firmness of the fruit were about 20 percent less. "Because the Chinese market did not have an abundance of cherries this year, the country was ready to pay the high prices." In order for the cherries to Asian export market was firm and crisp, in the beginning of the season she sprayed a natural medicine called gibberellinovaya acid (GA). This processing causes a delay in ripening for more than weeks and as long as is less than 55 parts per million. The drug does not affect the harvest next year.

Exports to Europe were reduced, as own production of the continent began later, while in Canada the season this year began three weeks earlier. By the time when Europe was harvested its own crop of cherries, and she was willing to import from Canada, the canadian season was over. As a result, this year the majority of canadian cherries were sold in the domestic market and in the United States.

The canadian cherry season finished on 15 August.

Anna Ustymenko,

Club Sirius Agro Plant