North West cherries

With the season closing in on its conclusion, the most recent crop report by Northwest Cherry Growers (to 17 August 2009)has shown that shipments have remained well up on 2008's volumes, hitting 18.5m 20lb equivalent boxes compared with the 9.6m boxes recorded in the same period last year

Average shipments for the recorded week to 17 August stood at 67,272boxes, up on 31,909 boxes in 2008 and 8,547 boxes in 2007 – although the season finished on 12 August that year.

Northwest Cherry Growers reported that, in terms of size, thepercentage of the crop standing at 10.5 Row and larger was 68.31 percent, higher than the five-year average of 55.49 per cent but down onthe 72.32 per cent seen at this stage of 2008.

Rainier cherry shipments for the period stood at 1.74m 15lbequivalent boxes, up on last year's 1.03m boxes and on the 1.73mboxes seen in 2007.