Another sizeable crop of California Bing cherries is forecast for the 2009 season and the UK is due to receive plentiful supplies of the fruit in May and June.
Jim Culbertson, the California Cherry Advisory Board’s (CCAB) executive manager, said: “Our winter conditions produced a good number of chill hours and reports from the packers indicate that growers were fairly aggressive with their pruning during this off season, in order to reduce the numbers of actual fruit and increase size.
“Cool to cold weather between the bloom time of the southern cherries such as Tulare and Brooks has pushed the timing of the crop harvest of northern Bings back a bit.”
California Bing cherry growers have struck gold in the UK during the past two seasons with a brace of record volumes and sales, and this year they are hoping to score a hat trick.
A record 1,339 tonnes imported in 2007 was overtaken last year by a crop of 1,556t, worth nearly $1 million (£680,000) - a 16 per cent rise.
According to the CCAB, California has around 600 Bing cherry growers covering more than 26,000 acres, and production in the state peaks between May and June. Last year, 8.5m cases of 18lb packs were shipped to various countries around the world, including the UK. Bings represent more than 70 per cent of the state’s cherry crop, worth some $300m, according to Culbertson.
Neil Gordon, ceo of NMG Consulting, a company responsible for marketing the cherries in the UK over the past decade, says Bing sales have risen steadily over the past decade and have become a firm favourite among young and old.
“They are an excellent snack, extremely versatile and perfect for the health-conscious, as a serving only accounts for around 50 calories,” he said. “We are in contact with the leading supermarket chains, who have also seen their Bing business grow over the years, and will be setting up promotional activities in the coming months.
“We have a portfolio of ideas designed to sell more cherries, including in-store posters, nutritional and recipe leaflets and a long history of participation in highly successful in-store promotions and tastings.
“We expect that the first Bings will be arriving at the end of May and the fruit will be available throughout June. We are looking forward to another exciting season,” added Gordon.
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