A Rutland fruit farmer says that this year, a long run of warm weather in spring has meant that Central Okanagan’s cherry orchards will likely be harvested in late June, about three weeks earlier than usual. According to Sukhpaul Bal, the early crop could limit export opportunities to China this year.
This will be the second consecutive year that cherries have been picked considerably in advance of long-term averages, says Bal, president of the B.C. Cherry Growers Association.
Exports of Okanagan cherries to China are surging. More than $50 million worth of Valley-grown cherries was sent to China in 2014, accounting for 20 per cent of all B.C. food exports to the country.
Cherries are particularly popular with Chinese consumers during certain festivals in the late summer, Bal said. If the Okanagan fruit ripens much earlier than usual, exporters might miss this lucrative window.
In the South Okanagan, cherry harvesting could start as early as the first week of June.
Expectations are for a larger-than-normal crop size, Bal said, although much still depends on weather conditions over the next few weeks.
