The Northwest cherry industry shipped over 9.6 million boxes in June — the largest June volume in many years. 

The early crop came in ahead of and above the crop estimate, due in part to a larger-than-expected volume of Coral Champagne from many young orchards now maturing into full production, said Karley Lange, director of domestic promotions for Northwest Cherries. The organization runs promotions on behalf of growers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana.

That larger-than-anticipated volume also hit the market when retail prices were still quite high, reflecting the short California crop, she said. 

The industry is looking ahead to the 4th of July weekend. “There are lots of promotions happening and lots of reasons to be optimistic,” Lange said. 

The industry is shipping over 500,000 boxes a day, she added. 

Northwest Cherries estimated a 22-million-box crop at the start of the season — the highest volume since 2019. That season, the industry shipped 8.9 million boxes in June. The five-year average is about 19 million boxes total. •