Tudor: Retailers should brace for rapid cherry movement
Tudor: Retailers should brace for rapid cherry movement
Andy Tudor, director of business development for Rainier Fruit Co., encourages retailers to strike while the fire is hot during the 2015 cherry season. “The mild spring weather has generated the most above-average degree growing days we can remember in recent history,” he told The Produce News. “This has moved our estimated harvest dates forward. There has been some winter damage noted, mostly in some of the later districts. What this means to retail is be ready to start Northwest cherries early, promote early and often in June and early July. There does not appear to be our usual late July and early August volumes to make up any late May and June sales.”
Rainier markets a full cherry manifest and will be packing organic cherries from late May through the end of June. “The Skeena dark sweet variety is becoming a customer favorite worldwide,” Tudor stated.
He was asked how quality and sizing are progressing this season. “Quality and flavor should once again be excellent,” he replied. “Sizing looks to be consistently larger due to growers pruning more aggressively.”
The company expected to ramp up its harvest around May 25. “At this point, dark sweet supplies will quickly taper off late in July. Rainier variety cherries will start very early in June this year,” he went on to say.
Rainier takes the necessary steps to ensure the highest cherry quality. “Last season’s streak of triple-digit heat really showed the value of our fleet of portable hydrocoolers and refrigerated bin trailers,” he stated. “The process of quickly removing field heat means shelf life for retail and, most importantly, a fantastic eating experience for the consumer.”
Although the Northwest industry expects its cherry volume to be 20 percent less in 2015 when compared to 2014, Tudor said, “At 18 to 20 million boxes, we all will have ample volumes to promote. Again, everything — including promotions — has moved forward.”
Tudor encourages retailers to take advantage of secondary retail displays offered by Rainier to boost rings at the register.
