Earlier start on lighter British Columbia cherry crop anticipated

Smartcherry Admin

Harvest

Earlier start on lighter British Columbia cherry crop anticipated

May 14, 2026

The British Columbia cherry crop is expected to be a more balanced one this season. "The crop is on the lighter side. Last year we had a bumper crop coming off of the freeze in 2024," says Sukhpaul Bal, a grower and president of the B.C. Cherry Association. "The crop is not as heavy this year because we had several frost events this April. Depending on where farms are located and in what stages of bloom they were in, some areas fared better and some areas were a bit lighter."

That said, the mood is optimistic now that growers have seen the set and are waiting for the fruit to come on. Along with this size crop, the industry is also expected to see a slightly earlier start to the season. “With the early spring, some areas in the valley could start in the first half of June. Generally harvest starts closer to the third week of June,” says Bal.

A more balanced crop also means the potential for better sizing with more space on the trees between clusters.

Crossover between regions
Also seeing an early start this season on cherries is California and it’s anticipated that there will be some good separation between cherry growing regions. “That’s important because it’s a much better cherry season when everybody gets their own area to operate within. If California is late and we’re early for example, it puts a lot of downward pressure on prices,” says Bal, noting that a bit of overlap though is always expected.

Demand is strong and Bal says he’s already fielding calls from the usual buyers but also new ones. “We had a good show at CPMA and there’s excitement for our crop,” he says. “The very large crop last year caught some people off-guard after having very little cherries for back to back seasons. I think this balanced crop might be a better situation for us and hopefully we can manage it much better labor wise. We’re hoping that sizing is stronger so we can fetch a better price for the fruit.”

Better pricing is expected this season with the lower volume, something that is much needed given the escalating growing costs over the last several years. “Growers need a healthy return to put back into their businesses. It’s been well documented how tough it’s been in our region and worldwide,” he says. “Extreme weather events have done their fair share of damage across the globe so if we want to keep the food supply healthy and keep growers doing what they do, we need to see a good price.”

This all follows the bumpy road that Canadian cherry growers have experienced over the last several years–one that has included a number of weather-related challenges. While there have been scattered frost losses this past spring, overall the 2026 crop is looking very encouraging, with ample availability of Canadian cherries forecast through to late August.

Source: Fresh Plaza