California cherries start early

California’s 2026 cherry season started earlier than usual after March heat accelerated bloom and pushed fruit to market in April. The California Cherry Board says the state’s normal season runs from mid-May through June, but first shipments this year were recorded on April 14. (agnetwest.com) Chris Zanobini, executive director of the board, said in early April that harvest would begin in late April and largely finish by the third week of May. Growers and marketers say that early start has brought good initial supply, but rain during ripening has raised concerns about cracked fruit and uneven quality. (thepacker.com) ### How early is this year’s California cherry crop? April 14 was the date of the first recorded 2026 shipments, according to California Cherry Board statistics cited by Fruitnet. (freshplaza.com) Mike Jameson of Morada Produce told AgNet West on April 15 that the crop was running 7 to 10 days earlier than normal, with volume starting around May 1 and peak supply expected around May 4 and May 5. The California Cherry Board says a typical season extends from mid-May through June. Zanobini told The Packer that this year’s season should begin in late April and end around the third week of May, adding that the industry did not expect production after Memorial Day and would likely continue shipping into the first week of June. (calcherry.com) ### What pushed the harvest forward? March 2026 was the hottest on record across the San Joaquin Valley, Fruitnet reported, citing the U.S. National Weather Service. That heat produced an almost simultaneous bloom from Bakersfield to Sacramento, compressing maturity and bringing on one of the earliest starts in more than a decade. (fruitnet.com) Zanobini told The Packer that temperatures were about 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above average during the March heat event. He said the compressed bloom meant “pretty much everything is going to be harvesting at the same time,” putting pressure on packing facilities and retailer timing. (calcherry.com) ### Why are growers worried about rain if supply is good? April rain hit as some orchards were already in a vulnerable ripening stage. James Chinchiolo, owner of Lodi Blooms, told ABC10 that about 1.75 inches of rain fell near his operation during an April storm, and he described how fruit can crack when roots and skins absorb too much water. (fruitnet.com) Kamal Bagri, San Joaquin County’s agricultural commissioner, said growers are still assessing potential crop losses from early-season heat and recent storms. Bagri said rain close to harvest can cause splitting and mold, and warned that some trees may carry so much damaged fruit that “it will not be profitable to pick the cherries and sort the good from the bad.” (thepacker.com) AgNet West reported that rain is especially dangerous during the “straw stage,” when cherries can crack, while hail can damage fruit instantly. Jameson said the 2026 crop was projected at 8 million to 8.5 million cartons, up from 4.9 million cartons in 2025, but weather remained the central risk. (abc10.com) ### Where is the risk most concentrated? San Joaquin County produced more than half of California’s cherry crop in 2024, according to the latest county crop report cited by local and trade outlets. Bagri said the county has about 300 cherry growers, and cherries were its sixth-most valuable agricultural commodity in 2024 at an estimated $240 million. (freshplaza.com) Stockton-area growers told ABC10 and FreshPlaza that damage can vary sharply by orchard and by variety. Chinchiolo said his losses after last month’s storm were about 10% to 15%, while Andrew Genasci of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation said some growers could face more severe damage because heat moved fruit ahead of schedule just before the storms arrived. (agnetwest.com) ### What does that mean for shoppers in stores now? May is expected to carry most of the state’s volume. Jameson told AgNet West that peak supply would hit in early May, and Zanobini said the majority of production would run from May 5 to Memorial Day, with retailers shifting promotions around Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. (freshplaza.com) Quality may be less uniform than timing suggests. Bagri said the extent of rain damage would become clearer after more reports came in from growers, and several industry sources said fruit quality would vary by location and stage of development. That leaves buyers looking at a market with early availability but closer attention to condition and packouts than the calendar alone would imply. (freshplaza.com) May 26, Memorial Day, remains the key marker for the season’s end. Zanobini said California growers do not expect production after that holiday, though some shipments could continue into the first week of June, while county officials continue collecting grower reports on storm damage and packouts. (agnetwest.com) (thepacker.com) (freshplaza.com)