Northwest cherry season underway

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The 2026 Northwest cherry season is now underway, with harvest beginning across early districts this week. While the season is still in the early stages, growers are seeing strong fruit quality and excellent sizing as orchards continue to progress under favorable weather conditions. Promotable volumes are expected to build steadily through early June, with plenty of opportunities for ad volume the second week of June domestically.

Warm temperatures throughout May accelerated crop development and helped push later-season fruit forward, reinforcing expectations for an earlier harvest window across multiple growing districts. With no major weather disruptions in recent weeks, the crop continues to move forward positively as momentum builds heading into peak season.

The industry is still anticipating the first major volume peak around June 18-25, followed by another strong shipping window during the second week of July. This timing is expected to provide retailers with multiple opportunities to drive impactful cherry promotions throughout the core summer selling season.

© Northwest Cherries

As of today, California cherry growers have shipped 5,312,479 (18lb equivalent) boxes, surpassing the earlier 4–5 million box projection as the season moves into its final stretch. Shipment volume has begun to taper, with daily movement declining by approximately 100,000 boxes between May 22 and May 24, signaling that California supplies are winding down quickly.

With only minimal overlap expected between California and Northwest production, maintaining cherry display space at retail will be critical as Northwest harvest begins. This transition presents a strong opportunity to sustain category momentum through focused promotions, premium pricing support, and continued consumer excitement as fresh Northwest Cherries enter the market.

According to the latest estimate, a production volume between 18.4 and 19.2 million boxes is expected for the Northwest season.

Contact:
Teresa Baggarley
Northwest Cherries
Tel: +1 50945 34837
[email protected]
www.nwcherries.com

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Source: The Plantations International Agroforestry Group of Companies