As the Northwest cherry harvest begins to wind down, shippers say promotable volumes will be available throughout August, though volume will dip as the month progresses.
In July, the Northwest cherry industry shipped 15.2m cartons – 529,000 cartons more than the latest estimate.
Some 2.4m cartons have been shipped so far in August and packers say they expect to ship up to 2m cartons more before the season is over. They say quality coming in from the orchards is high, and sugars are peaking for the year.
“It is important to note that there is ample opportunity for promotions during the month of August. The cherry category remains a key driver for summer produce department profits – and this year August presents a unique opportunity for the trade,” Northwest Cherry Growers said in a statement.
“Sales records show that one out of seven cherry buyers don’t make their first purchase until late in the season. Their trigger? A countdown notice – letting them know that the time to squeeze the last bit of summer out of Northwest cherries is upon them.”
The association said it had anticipated a long and late-running crop and planned its retail and media programmes accordingly.
