BC Tree Fruits expecting a record cherry crop this year

One of the best parts of summer is enjoying delicious, fresh fruit and other treats in the sun.

A lot of that fruit is grown right here in the Okanagan, with BC Tree Fruits being one of the industry leaders in that sense.

As the excitement for the summer crop grows, BC Tree Fruits made an announcement that made cherry lovers pretty happy.

A record 12 million pounds of cherries are expected this season, meaning there will be plenty of sweet and juicy cherries to go around this summer.

The 12 million pound estimation is a significant jump from the 8 million pounds of cherries that were harvested in 2016.

Due to a late spring, consumers won’t see cherries in store for another month or so, but the wait will likely be worth it.

“With weather serving up a cooler spring this year, it has enabled our grower base to be prepared for a delicious and high quality crop of cherries at more traditional timing,” says BC Tree Fruits Marketing Manager Chris Pollock. “Cherries and the rest of our summer fruits went through the bloom period exceptionally well and our growers are excited for a great crop this year with harvest starting end of June for cherries in the South, with the fruit hitting retail shelves very soon after.”

BC Tree Fruits is also expecting good peach, nectarine, prune, plum and grape crops this year.

The primary market for BC Tree Fruits remains Western Canada, although the company continues to export increased volumes of cherries to the U.S.A.

BC Tree Fruits Cooperative is comprised of over 430 local grower families who grow a variety of tree fruit commodities including apples, cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, prunes, plums and grapes.