Bing cherries from California are due to start their season two weeks ahead of last year with first arrivals scheduled in the UK around May 22.
Slightly advanced bloom is the main reason for the early start and marketers are hoping to build on record sales last year that saw volumes up 77 per cent on 2003 to 130,000 boxes.
"Late Spanish and Turkish cherry crops in 2004 provided a large window of opportunity for the California cherry industry in the UK," said Jim Culbertson, manager of the California Cherry Advisory Board, "and a promotional campaign was targeted to take advantage of the opportunity.
"I believe that our promotions helped raise the trade's confidence in the consistency of California cherry availability and quality."
The Californians are anticipating a three to four week slot on the UK marketplace with Bing and possibly some Rainier. Promotional activity will run at intervals throughout the period.
Last year the fruit was sold through seven major UK retailers'stores and this season the Californians are hoping to work with six.
In-store tastings, posters and recipe leaflets and public relations activity are all planned.
Meanwhile, growers of the same varieties in the north-western US are anticipating more fruit availability in July.
Total crop volumes are expected to be up nine per cent on 2004 at 12 million 20lb cartons in the north-west. Harvesting is due to begin in the main growing areas of Washington state in late May or early June. The north-west region also includes production from the states of Oregon, Utah and Idaho which the US department of agriculture calculates have 43,100 acres under cherry production between them.
"The preliminary crop estimates for 2005 are looking outstanding," said Washington State Fruit Commission president BJ Thurlby. "But until we begin harvesting in about eight weeks, the true numbers for 2005 are yet to be realised...Our European business partners should be expecting increased sweet cherry availability in July as many late season varieties are coming into first-time production this year."
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