Canada: BC Tree Fruits forecasts record cherry production
![Canada: BC Tree Fruits forecasts record cherry production Canada: BC Tree Fruits forecasts record cherry production](https://cdn.freshfruitportal.com/2017/03/Cereza-shutterstock_132038915.jpg)
The British Columbia (BC) Tree Fruits Cooperative is expecting a record cherry crop of 5,500 metric tons (MT) this year thanks to ideal weather conditions and new trees coming online.
Consumers will start to see BC Tree Fruit's Okanagan cherries in stores starting at the end of June, it said.
The anticipated volume of cherries this season matches the amount estimated in 2017, although that crop fell short of the initial expectations at 4,600MT due to weather challenges.
BC Tree Fruits is also expecting a strong harvest of peaches, nectarines, prunes, plums and table grapes, with volumes either slightly up or similar to last year's yield.
"Ideal weather conditions through bloom into the post-bloom period has resulted in a lot of fruit on the trees," said Chris Pollock, BC Tree Fruits marketing manager.
Western Canada remains the primary market for BC Tree Fruits' summer fruits, although increased volumes of cherries are being exported to the U.S. and key export markets.