After five years of battling heat domes and polar vortexes, cherry growers are finally looking forward to a promising season.
And early indicators suggest a potentially record-breaking crop is on the horizon.
“We’ve taken a beating,” said Sukhpaul Bal, president of the BC Cherry Association, during an interview on the Early Edition this week. “But farmers are resilient, and we’re ready to bounce back.”
As trees begin to bud, many growers are reporting they made it out of winter unscathed —an encouraging contrast to recent years when extreme weather wiped out much of the valley’s soft fruit harvests.
This year, a combination of healthy trees and maturation of younger orchards is setting the stage for an abundant harvest of high-quality cherries, ready to meet demand across the country.
While most customers are typically based in Western Canada, Bal noted a surge of interest from buyers in Eastern Canada as well.
Adding to this optimism is the growing preference for Canadian produce.
Cross-border tariffs have shifted demand away from Washington State cherries, giving Canadian growers an edge in their own market.
“I think the valley is going to be buzzing,” Bal said. “People want to spend their dollars in Canada. Get ready to compete with tourists for cherries this summer.”
